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CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN -WORLD; 

OS 

EXPERIENCES  IN  A  VOYAGE  TO  EUROPE, 

PEINCEPALLY  IN 

/ranrt,  Selgium,  aiih  (Bnglatife, 

IN  1847  AND  1848 ;  comprisino  bkeicues  in  toe  miniatuke  worlds, 

PARIS,  BRUSSELS,  AND   LONDON; 

TOGETnER  WITH 

INCIDENTS  BY  THE  WAY,  NOTED  SCENERY,  NATIONAL  CHARACTER  AND 
COSTUME,  DELINEATIONS  OF  SOCIAL  LIFE,  VIEWS  OF  TUE  PRINCIPAL 
PUBLIC  MONUMENTS,  CHURCHES,  PALACES,  GARDENS,  GALLERIES 
OF  PAINTINGS,  MUSEUMS,  LIBRARIES,  LITERARY  AND  BENEV- 
OLENT INSTITUTIONS,  PUBLIC  LECTURES,  ETC. 

AND  WTTH  THREE  NEW   FEATURES,   VIZ.  : 

FRENCH    LIFE    ON    SHIPBOARD,    REVOLUTION    OF    FEBRUARY 

IN  PARIS,    AND    A    PROFESSIONAL   VEIW    OF    PUBLIC 

AND    PRIVATE    SCHOOLS. 

BY  A 

TRAVELLER  AND  TEACHER. 


BOSTON: 

TAPTAN    AND    WIIITTEMORE. 

18  5  3. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1853,  by 

AliONZO     TRIPP, 

in  the  Clerk's  office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


ANDOVER  :   J.    D.    FLAGG, 
Stereotyper  and  Printer. 


PREFACE. 


In  presenting  this  volume  to  the  public,  a  -word  or  two  in 
explanation  of  the  circumstances  which  gave  it  birth  may 
not  be  deemed  inappropriate.  The  tour  which  forms  its  sub- 
ject was  the  fortune  of  a  respite  from  active  duties,  delight- 
fully spent  in  breathing  a  freer  atmosphere,  and  seeking  to 
enlarge  the  horizon  of  observation  and  thought.  On  leaving 
home,  I  truly  had  no  intention  of  attempting  a  book.  I  felt 
rather  to  be  following  the  onward  spirit  of  self-culture,  united 
to  an  early,  undying  love  for  travelling,  than  indulging  the 
hope  of  ever  framing  out  of  what  I  might  see,  a  picture  ac- 
ceptable to  others.  But  it  has  been  thought,  since  my  re- 
turn, that  the  somewhat  original  manner  of  performing  the 
journey,  the  important  nature  of  several  subjects,  not  usually 
spoken  of  by  European  travellers,  that  naturally  came  under 
my  observation,  and  the  thrilling  scenes  of  the  Revolution  of 
February,  were  circumstances  to  justify  the  pubhcation. 

As  much  as  has  been  written  upon  Europe,  there  remain, 
I  am  persuaded,  rich  fields  unexplored ;  and  who  would  not 
encourage  learning  more  of  people  with  whom  our  relations 
are  becoming  every  day  more  intimate  ? 

I  have  described  things  as  I  found  them,  or,  at  least,  as 
they  appeared  to  me  ;  and  in  recording  my  opinions,  I  have 
not  stopped  to  consider  the  prejudice  of  party  or  sect.  The 
narrative  style  has  in  general  been  followed,  as  best  adapted 
to  interest  youth  ;  and  if  the  book  shall  thereby  gain  attrac- 
tiveness to  supplant  the  seductive  novel,  no  healthy-minded 
reader  will,  I  am  sure,  regret  it.     If  I  have  been  prolix,  it 


PPvEFACE. 


was  to  impart  a  more  natural  and  vivid  interest  to  the  pic- 
ture of  the  route.  The  next  thing  to  travelling  for  one's 
self,  is  to  accompany  the  author  in  a  faithful  reproduction  of 
the  incidents  of  the  journey.  I  have  often  felt,  myself,  in 
reading  books  of  travels,  that  they  not  unfrequently  leave 
out  much  of  what  would  be  of  greatest  interest  to  the  reader  ; 
minute  incidents,  pei-haps,  but  containing  the  clew  to  impor- 
tant principles.  To  discriminate  between  the  puerile  and  the 
instructively  minute,  is  the  province  of  a  philosophical  judg- 
ment. 

As  to  the  literary  character  of  the  book,  if  not  so  good  as 
might  be  wished,  it  is  yet  such  as  circumstances  have  per- 
mitted. Written  in  the  intervals  of  arduous  and  engrossing 
duties,  with  my  right  hand  always  free  for  the  labors  of  a 
sacred  trust,  inequalities  of  style  Avould  be  expected.  It 
will  be  further  remembered,  that  even  with  the  gifted,  har- 
mony of  structure,  and  force,  and  beauty  of  language,  except 
with  the  practical  composer,  are  the  fruit  of  time  and  pains. 
Slight  errors  in  the  first  edition,  should  such  appear,  must  be 
attributed  to  my  having  been  at  a  distance  during  the  pro- 
gress of  the  work  through  the  press.  Where  my  Notes  have 
failed  me,  I  have  consulted  what  I  deemed  the  best  authori- 
ties. 

I  desire,  in  conclusion,  to  express  a  lively  gratitude  toward 
numerous  friends  who,  since  the  announcement  of  the  book, 
have  in  various  ways  testified  to  me  their  kindly  sympathy 
and  encouragement.  That  it  may  not  disappoint  any  reason- 
able expectations  they  may  have  formed,  and  at  the  same 
time  be  instrumental  in  advancing  in  the  community  the  true, 
the  good,  and  the  beautiful,  is  the  fervent  desire  of  the 
author. 

Alonzo  Tripp. 

Village  Seminary,  Jan,  18,  1853. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.  PA«E. 

About  Leavino: — Thoughts  on  Leaving  Home — GloTv-ing  Visions  of 
the  Old  World  —  Travelling  a  Passion  with  the  True  Teacher 9 

CHAPTER  11. 
Departing  from  the  Beaten  Track  of  Travel,  the  only  way  to  gain 
Correct  Ideas  of  Men  and  Things  —  The  Beauty  and  Fragrance  of 
the  Primrose  of  Domestic  Affection  —  A  Nice  Welsh  Family  —  A 
Fastidious  Young  Lady 12 

CHAPTER  ni. 

Skill  of  Yankee  Captains  —  Improved  Manners  of  Ilackmcn  in  New 
York  City  —  Appearances  in  the  Streets  on  Sabbath  Morning  — 
My  Neat  Welsh  Hotel  —  Health-Blooming  Landlord  and  Lady  — 
Smoking  and  Beer-Drinking  in  the  Bar-lRoom  —  A  Mental  Glance 
of  New  York  —  Unreserved  Kindness  of  the  Boarders  —  A  Stroll 
among  the  Shipping  —  Pleasing  Reminiscences  of  Golden  Days  of 
Boyhood — Rolling  Tide  of  Immigration  —  The  Yankee  always 
Travels  in  the  First  Style 1 .     17 

CHAPTER   IV. 
Thanksgiving  to  the  New  Englander  away  —  Obsen'ance  of  the  Day 
by  the  English  and  Welsh  Boarders  —  The  Advantages  of  going  in 
a  French  Vessel  —  Odd  and  Ins])iring  Sensations  on  Sailing  from 
the  Whaif  —  The  Pilot  and  his  French 25 

CHAPTER    V. 
Emotions  on  Losing  Sight  of  Land  —  Model  of  the  Vessel,  a  National 
Beau-Ideal  —  Comparative  Strength  of  the  Vessels  of  France  and 
England  —  Fare,   and    Style   of   Living  on    Board  —  Sociality  at 
Meals  —  A  Portrait  of  our  Three  Apprentices 32 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Heavy  Weather  —  The  Sailor  a  Stranger  to  Fear  —  The  Sublimity  of 
a  Dreadful  Gale  —  The  Accurate  Reckoning  of  the  Captain  — One 
not  the  Best  Teacher  of  his  own  Lan^uiige  —  The  Intense  Desire  of 
getting  in  at  the  Cruel  Sport  of  Fortunt;  — "  'T  is  sweet  to  be 
Drowned  in  one's  own  Waters  " —  The  Thrill  of  a  Narrow  Escape. .     41 

CHAPTER   VI  T. 
Land  upon  the  Old  World  —  A  Moody  Fit  of  the  Captain  —  Sand- 
wich   Islanders  —  Elevating    Eft'ects    of  Ocean    Scenery   upon    the 
Soul  —  Sabbaths  at  Sea —  Sports  of  the  Captain  —  Pig-Butchery  — 
Arrival   off"  Havre  —  Entering   the   Port  —  The  French   Woman's 
1* 


VI 


CONTENTS. 


Charge  for  Beef-Steak  —  French  Mode  of  Living — The  Prospect 
from  the  Heights  of  Angouville  —  Mode  of  Teaching  Children  — 
Improvement  suggested  for  American  Mothers 51 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

Reception  by  Mons.  P. —  American  News  a  small  space  in  European 
Journals  —  Notre  Dame  —  Museum  —  Virgin  Mai-y  —  Origin  of 
Havre  —  New  Dock  —  American  Ships 69 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Honesty  of  the  French  to  Travellers  —  Leaving  the  City  —  Scenery 
through  Normandy  —  Picturesque  Costume  of  the  Farmers  —  Arri- 
val in  Rouen  — Kindness  of  Landlord  and  Lady  —  Market- Women 
under  my  Window  —  Grandeur  of  Rouen  Cathedral  —  Richness  of 
Interior  —  Rollo,  the  Norman  —  Church  of  St.  Owen — Statue  of 
Voltaire  —  Palais  de  Justice  —  Maid  of  Orleans  —  View  from  the 
Cote  de  St.  Catherine — An  Historical  Mental  Picture  —  The  An- 
cient Port  of  the  City  —  Supper  —  View  of  the  City 77 

CHAPTER  X. 
Annoying  Trait  of  French  Landlords  —  Comparative  Excellence  of 
Railways   in    France  —  Emotions    on  Arrival  in  Paris  —  Hotel  du 
Havre  —  A  Scene  with  the  Landlady  —  Kindness  of  Madame  David    95 

CHAPTER    XI. 
Shopping  in  Paris —  Fascinating  Manners  of  the  Shopwomen  — Beau- 
tiful Appearance  of  the  Streets  —  Fashions  Different  in  Paris,  Lon- 
don, and  New  York  —  Napoleon  Column  —  Garden  of  the  Tuile- 
ries  —  Library  of  St.  Genevieve 103 

CHAPTER    XII. 

Letters  from  Home  —  The  Effect  of  Contemplating  Aright  Noble  Pub- 
lic Edifices  —  Boarding  School  —  Pupils  out  on  Promenade — Arc 
de  Triomph  de  I'Etoile  —  Minister  of  Public  Instruction  in  Paris  — 
Cimetiere  du  Pe're  la  Chaise,  the  Paris  of  Cemeteries  —  Vice  Rector 
at  the  Sarbonne  —  Pantheon  —  Description 115 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

Public  Schools  —  Monsieur  Lefebre  —  Order  and  Precision  of  the 
School — Corporal  Punishment  Prohibited  —  Mode  of  Teaching 
the  Alphabet  —  Drawing  —  Singing  —  Advantage  of  the  System  — 
Its  Defects  —  Municipal  School  Fran<;ais  —  The  Principal  and  his 
Professor  —  Plan  of  the  School — Preparatory  Department  —  Notre 
Dame  de  Lorette 135 

CHAPTER    XIV. 
Communal   School  —  Character  of   the  School  —  Private  Day  and 
Boarding  School. by  the  Frferes  —  Plan  of  the  School  —  Singing  — 


CONTENTS. 


Municipal  School  Superior  —  Arrangement  of  the  Building  —  Draw- 
ing —  Church  St.  Eustache  —  Cathedral  de  Notre  Dame,  compared 
with  the  Rouen  Cathedral  —  Bell  —  Splendid  Interior  —  Coronation 
of  Napoleon  —  English  Episcopal  Church  —  IMuddy  Streets  —  Prac- 
tice of  the  Ladies  —  Hotel  dcs  Invalids  —  Exterior  —  Interior  — 
Military  School  —  Woman  among  the  Lower  Orders 147 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Palace  of  the  Louvre  —  Former  Richness  in  Art  —  Characteristics  of 
the  several  Schools  of  Painters —  Sunday  .at  the  Louvre  —  Influence 
of  the  Art  upon  the  Masses  —  Sculpture,  Petrified  Beauty  —  Marine 
Museum  —  Royal  Institution  for  the  Blind  —  Benefits  of  the  Noble 
School  —  Professor-Lecturer  of  Chemistry  —  Garden  of  Plants  — 
Description  — Adult  and  Juvenile  Evening  Schools 168 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Palace  of  the  Luxembourg  —  Rich  Paintings  —  Institution  for  Deaf- 
Mutes —  Mode  of  Teaching — Teachers  of  French  —  Palace  of  the 
Fine  Arts  —  Church  of  the  Madeline  —  Its  Magnificence  —  Nuns  at 
the  Church  of  St.  Germain  I'Auxerrois —  Rural  Restaurant  —  Mad- 
ame David  —  Reunion  of  Ouvriers  —  Bisliop  of  Paris 202 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

To  Versailles  —  Chateau  —  Vastness  —  Splendid  Grounds  —  Sump- 
tuous Interior  —  Hotel  de  Brissac  —  Condition  of  Domestics  — 
Normal  School 221 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 
Revolution   of  February  —  Cause,  Reunions  —  Italian  Independence 

—  Just  Milieu  of  Mr.  Guizot  —  More  Remote  Causes  — Louis  Phil- 
lippe  —  Stormy  Session  of  tlic  Chamber  of  Deputies  —  Evening 
School  for  Journeymen  and  Apprentices  —  Palais  de  la  Bourse  — 
Fortifications  of  Paris  —  Place  de  la  Concorde  —  Parisian  Cafe's  — 
Dancing — Model  Office  —  Theatre  Fran<;ais  —  Orchestra  —  Lec- 
tures at  the  Sarbonnc  —  Monsieur  Frank 231 

CHAPTER    XIX. 
Gen.  Scott  under  Arrest — An  Ambiguous  Cluiracter  —  Parisian  Mor- 
als—  Loveless  Marriages  —  Left-Hand  Marriages  —  Legalized  Vice 

—  Hospice  d'Accouchemcnt  —  Hospices  dcs  Enfans  Trouvers  — 
Causes,  etc.  —  Manufactory  for  the  Crown  Tapestry  —  Palais  Roy- 
ale  —  Sumptuous  Interior  —  Chapel  of  St.  Ferdinand 256 

CHAPTER    XX. 

The  Grand  Banquet  at  Paris  —  0])inions  of  the  Approaching  Crisis  — 
The  (iloomy  Eve  of  the  Fated  Morrow  —  Sudden  Tacking  of  the 
Ship  of  State  —  Mental  Scenes  in  the  Bo.som  of  the  Government  — 


CONTENTS. 


Madame  the  Duchess  of  Orleans  —  Monsieur  Guizot  —  Paris  in  a 
Posture  of  Defence  —  Thrilling  Scenes  of  the  22d 269 

CHAPTER    XXI. 

Revolution  Continued  —  Suavity  and  Kindness  of  Mr.  Rush  —  Cham- 
ber of  Deputies  —  M.  Guizot  in  the  Tribune  —  Resignation  of  M. 
Guizot  —  Reading  Rooms  —  Alarm  in  the  Night  —  Cause  —  De- 
parture —  Appearance  of  the  Streets  —  Departure  from  Paris  — 
Amiens  —  Appearance  of  Belgium 286 

CHAPTER    XXII. 

Arrival  at  Bi'ussels —  Officials  —  A  Worcester  Gentleman  —  Appear- 
ance of  the  City  —  Lady  of  the  American  Minister  —  Palais  du  Con- 
gress —  Chambers  of  Parliament  —  Belgium  —  Theatres  —  Resigna- 
tion of  Louis  Pliillippc,  and  Flight  of  the  Royal  Family — Cafes 
and  Boulevards  —  Schools  —  Hotel  de  Ville  —  Palace  of  Fine  Arts  304 

CHAPTER    XXIII. 

Symptoms  of  Revolution  in  Belgium  —  Communal  Schools — Cathe- 
dral of  Gudule  —  Religious  Sects  —  Lamartine  —  Marriage  in  Eu- 
rope and  the  United  States  —  Academies  —  Botanical  Garden — 
Influence  of  Lamaitine  —  Carnival  —  Hero- Worship  —  Shopping  — 
Carpet  and  Lace  Factories 316 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 

Departure  for  Brussels  —  Canal  Boats  —  Bruges  —  Cathedral  of  Notre 
Dame  —  Dietetics  —  Groups  of  Musicians  —  Arrival  of  a    Steamer 

—  Embark  for  Dover — Dover  Heights  —  Custom  House  —  Smug- 
gling —  Dover  Castle  —  Leave  for  London 340 

CHAPTER    XXV. 

Londoii — Beggars  —  Tower  of   London  —  Dungeon  —  Crown-Jewels 

—  St.  Paul's  — Sir  Christopher  Wren  —  The  Thames  Tunnel  — 
River  Steamers  —  Trafalgar  Square  —  Nelson  Monument  —  British 
Museum  —  West-End  — Buckingham  Palace  —  Westminster  Abbey 

—  Parks 357 

CHAPTER    XXVI. 

Hospitality  of  the  English  —  Gallery  of  Paintings — Popularity  of 
Queen  Victoria  —  Disaffection  —  St.  Paul's  School  —  Guildhall  — ■ 
Royal  Exchange  —  Bank  of  England  —  Bridges  —  Houses  of  Pai-- 
liament — St.  James's  Park  —  Prince  Albert  —  Normal  and  Moral 
School  —  East  India  Docks  —  Elihu  Burritt  —  Quakers  —  National 
Schools  —  House  of  Lords  —  Shopkeepers  —  Homeward  Bound ....  383 

CHAPTER    XXVII. 
European  Schools 403 


CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-AVORLD. 


CHAPTER  I. 

ABOUT  LEAVING  —  THOUGHTS  ON  LEAVING  HOME  —  GLOWING  VIS- 
IONS OF  THE  OLD  WORLD  —  TRAVELLING  A  PASSION  WITH  THE 
TRUE  TEACHER. 

What  a  crowd  of  delightful  anticipations  throng  the  imagina- 
tion of  an  American,  as  he  leaves  his  home  to  visit  the  Old  World ! 
It  is  there  that  the  human  race  had  its  origin,  and  long  has  it  been 
the  grand  theatre  of  its  numberless  exploits.  Treading  the  classic 
ground  of  his  forefathers,  he  can  trace  the  windings  of  civilization 
to  their  source,  and  mark  the  different  epochs  in  the  world's  his- 
tory. Character  may  there  be  seen  variously  modified  by  political 
institutions,  and  social  life,  in  its  endless  phases,  keeps  the  travel- 
ler constantly  alive  with  renewed  interest.  It  is,  too,  on  the  East- 
em  Continent,  to  which  his  thoughts  are  now  turned,  that  the 
human  mind  has  received  its  widest  expansion,  its  fullest  develop- 
ment, and  the  treasures  of  intellect  so  profuse,  so  infinite  in  form, 
which  meet  him  at  every  step,  fill  his  mind  with  engrossing  and 
profound  interest.  But  when  he  comes  to  the  arts  —  to  painting, 
sculpture,  and  architecture,  he  is  translated  to  new  worlds  of  mor- 
tal creation,  to  revel  in  a  sublime  existence,  which  before  was  but 
dimly  shadowed  to  his  imagination. 


10  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

If  with  such  feehngs  the  traveller  ordinarily  looks  forward  to  a 
tour  in  Europe,  these  feelings  are  doubly  intense,  when  the  tourist 
is  a  teacher.  Accustomed,  from  the  duties  of  his  vocation,  to  deal 
with  mind ;  necessitated  to  learn  its  conditions,  to  trace  the  causes 
which  have  led  to  certam  results  in  its  formation,  and  especially  to 
know  the  agencies  by  which  it  is  successfully  moved,  he  hails, 
with  peculiar  pleasure,  so  grand  an  opportunity  to  look  abroad 
among  the  nations  of  the  earth ;  to  compare  their  diverse  con- 
dition ;  to  observe  the  pecuhar  traits  of  individual  character ;  to 
note  the  changes  which  the  hand  of  time  has  wrought  in  the  social 
fabric;  to  study  the  modes  of  thought,  feeling  and  expression 
which  give  coloring  to  ideas  ;  and,  in  fine,  to  take  a  general  sur- 
vey of  the  basis  and  structure  of  society,  in  connection  with  the 
causes  which  have  led  to  its  development. 

Not  only  is  the  teacher  to  be  conversant  with  mind  anatomically 
and  physiologically,  to  understand  its  structure  and  functions,  and 
the  conditions  of  its  healthful  growth ;  but  he  must  be  familiar  with 
the  subjects  of  the  mind,  the  varied  forms  of  knowledge  which 
incite  to  action  its  powers,  and  constitute  the  woven  fabric  of  its 
essence.  History,  science,  language,  and  poetry  are  but  so  much 
of  the  teacher's  stock  in  trade.  Is  it  surprising,  then,  that  he 
should  long  to  gather  largely  and  afresh  from  the  primitive  source, 

—  that  he  should  pant  to  tread  the  very  soil  hallowed  by  the  most 
glowing  associations,  about  which  he  has  so  often  conversed  with 
his  pupils, —  that  he  should  hasten  to  view  the  astonishing  and 
transcendently  beautiful  combinations  of  form,  in  the  fine  arts, 
the  simple  principles  of  which  it  has  been  his  daily  task  to  teach, 

—  that  he  should  be  thrilled  with  delight  at  the  prospect  of  hang- 
ing with  ecstasy  upon  the  living  tones,  palpitating  with  the  heart's 
keenest  emotions,  and  giving  spirit  and  grace  to  those  languages, 
the  bare  forms  of  which  have  afforded  him  so  much  gi-atification 


TRAVELLING  A  PASSION  WITH  THE  TEACHER.  H 


in  his  daily  studv,  —  tliat  his  very  soul  should  leap  with  pleasure 
as  it  flies  on  the  wings  of  imagination  to  gaze  on  those  sublime 
scenes  in  nature,  which  have  lent  inspiration  to  the  poet,  and 
moved  him  to  so  lofty  a  flight  of  song, — sweet  numbers  which, 
though  stripped  of  half  their  glow  and  beauty,  by  the  absence  of 
the  scenes  which  inspired  them,  have  yet  elevated  his  soul  to  a 
loftier  existence,  and  opened  to  it  new  sources  of  purer  enjoy- 
ment? 

Nor  is  it  enough  that  the  teacher  should  clearly  comprehend 
the  mind,  and  be  perfectly  familiar  with  the  varied  subjects  which 
employ  its  energies.  It  is  not  sufTicient  that  his  own  mind  is  an 
ample  storehouse,  filled  with  principle,  fact,  and  apt  illustration 
systematically  arranged,  ready  to  flow  out  at  bidding  to  elucidate 
every  subject  as  it  comes  up  for  investigation.  He  must  possess 
himself  the  quintescence,  the  impalpable  of  knowledge,  obtained 
not  from  books,  but  from  large  intercourse  with  men,  and  free 
draughts  at  nature's  well.  With  this,  he  must  permeate  the 
character  of  his  pupils.  He  must  infuse  his  own  spirit  into  their 
very  being,  —  distil  the  dew  of  his  soul  into  the  waters  of  their 
life  —  if  he  would  hope  fully  to  arouse  them  to  lofty  purpose,  and 
intense  action. 

Yes,  others  may  delight  to  travel;  but  with  the  true  teacher,  the 
artist,  the  man  whose  life  is  in  his  work,  travelling  will  be  a  pas- 
sion ;  and  though  he  may  suppress  a  sigh,  as  with  tearful  eye  and 
saddened  heart  he  thinks  of  the  endearing  tics  he  is  called  to  sun- 
der, and  the  changes  which  inexorable  time  may  work  in  his  dear 
circle  or  beloved  flock,  before  he  is  permitted  to  embrace  or  greet 
them  again  ;  yet  lie  will  soon  rise  above  these  pathetic  emotions, 
his  spirit  strengthened  by  the  glorious  prospect  from  the;  fields  of 
intellectual  treasure  before  him,  and  the  increased  usefulness 
which  his  sacrifices,  and  sweet  and  noble  toil  will  give  him. 


CHAPTER  II. 

DEPARTING  FROM  THE  BEATEN  TRACK  OF  TRAVEL,  THE  ONLY 
WAY  TO  GAIN  CORRECT  IDEAS  OP  MEN  AND  THINGS  —  A  FAS- 
TIDIOUS YOUNG  LADY  —  A  NICE  WELSH  FAMILY  —  THE  BEAUTY 
AND  FRAGRANCE  OF  THE  PRIMROSE  OF  DOMESTIC  AFFECTION 
THE  HEART-BREATHINGS  OF  THE  HOMEWARD-BOUND  EMI- 
GRANT. 

Boston,  JVov.  20th.  I  called  this  morning  on  board  of  one  of  the 
Cunard  steamei's,  lying  at  East  Boston.  These  are  certainly 
noble  ships,  and  all  honor  is  due  to  the  genius  of  him  who  con- 
ceived the  grand  design  of  linking  the  two  continents  by  steam- 
navigation.  Yet,  he  who  journeys  abroad  with  an  especial  view 
of  gaining  a  more  intimate  knowledge  of  men  and  things,  will  not 
hesitate  to  turn  off  from  the  more  beaten  roads  of  travel,  and  pur- 
sue some  of  the  less  frequented  paths.  He  will  thus  gain  in  de- 
lightful interest  what  he  may  lose  in  pleasurable  ease ;  and  if  he 
is  not  swept  over  the  route  so  delectably,  he  will  have  this  loss 
fully  compensated,  by  gaining  more  vivid  impressions  of  nature, 
and  receiving  a  more  enlarged  horizon  of  thought. 

Returning,  I  stepped  on  board  a  ship,  the  only  vessel  in  port,  I 
learned,  soon  to  sail  for  England  or  France.  I  found  the  accom- 
modations narrow,  but  neat  and  comfortable  enough  for  a  person 
of  moderate  desires;  but  the  captain,  who  was  pacing  the  wharf 
in  all  the  dignity  of  his  profession,  replied  so  curtly  to  my  in- 
quiries, and  with  an  air  so  unmistakable  to  an  eye  the  least  expe- 


DEPARTING  FROM  THE  BEATEN  TRACK.        13 


rienced  in  nautical  character,  that  I  bid  him  good  morning  at  once, 
resolved  to  look  farther,  for  the  means  of  a  pleasant  transit  across  the 
Atlantic.  A  winter  passage  with  a  morose  captain,  was  by  no  means 
to  be  ventured  upon.  The  officers  of  the  packet-ships  acquire  by 
habit  a  civil  and  obliging  behavior  toward  passengers,  even  when 
those  qualities  are  not  a  part  of  their  natural  disposition  ;  but  the 
captain  of  a  transient  ship  is  influenced  by  no  peculiar  motives  to 
induce  him  to  deviate  from  his  ordinary  line  of  conduct.  Indeed, 
his  position  on  board,  in  rank  above  all  others,  and  his  relation  to 
the  ship's  company,  clothed  with  almost  arbitrary  power,  called  to 
govern  men  accustomed  to  despotic  rule,  who  would  frequently 
take  undue  advantage  of  a  mild  discipline,  he  acquires,  uncon- 
sciously to  himself,  an  imperious  temper  and  stern  manner  of 
action,  which,  when  they  happen  to  be  united  with  a  naturally 
passionate  and  reckless  disposition,  combine  to  render  him  not 
altogether  a  most  agreeable  social  companion  for  a  solita,ry  sea- 
voyage. 

New  York,  Nov.  21s<.-Left  Boston  last  evening,  in  the  six 
o'clock  train,  to  come  by  the  way  of  Stonington.  This  route  is 
preferred,  I  believe,  to  that  by  the  way  of  Fall  River,  by  the 
more  timid  class  of  passengers,  as  being  safer  at  this  season, — 
the  distance  by  water  being  considerably  less.  The  Fall  River 
route,  however,  by  the  superior  boats  on  the  sound,  the  liberality 
of  the  Company,  and  gentlemanly  and  polite  attentions  of  the  of- 
ficers on  the  whole  route,  has  justly  won  the  favor  of  the  public ; 
and  when  we  were  aroused  from  our  warm  slumbers,  and  has- 
tened into  the  cold  midnight  air,  to  exchange,  first  from  the  boat 
to  the  cars,  then  to  the  boat,  then  again  to  the  cars,  and  finally  to 
the  boat,  we  began  to  feel  that  we  had  paid  dearly  for  our  choice 
of  routes. 

An  unusually  large  number  of  passengers  were  along  with  us ; 
2 


14  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


and,  in  clianging  from  the  boat  to  the  cars,  there  were  the  usual 
tumultuous  and  hurried  scenes  exhibited,  with  more  or  less  con- 
fusion ;  some  bustling  for  bits  of  luggage,  or  toting  or  dragging 
pieces  along  with  them,  to  the  annoyance  of  their  neighbors ; 
others  solicitous  for  their  female  companions,  who  were  scamper- 
ing to  meet  them,  or  being  half  pulled  along  through  the  dark, 
or  dimlj-lighted  way ;  or  some  father  hastily  uniting  the  mem- 
bers of  his  group,  and,  with  many  words  of  encouragement  and 
caution,  uttered  in  quickening  and  jiaternal  tones,  sees  them  safely 
in  the  right  car.  The  manner  and  expression  of  the  company 
were  as  varied,  too,  as  their  character.  A  few,  at  the  given  sig- 
nal, snatch  their  valises  or  carpet-bags,  and  press  I'ight  on  through 
the  crowd,  jostling  any  that  may  happen  to  be  in  their  way. 
Some  others  are  more  deliberate  in  their  movements,  and  more 
mindful  of  the  rights  of  their  neighbors ;  a  large  number,  appa- 
rently unused  to  travelling,  or  unacquainted  with  the  route,  appear 
anxious  —  a  little  disconcerted  —  put  questions  to  any  one,  for  the 
resolving  of  their  doubts,  and  then  follow  on  with  the  moving 
tide,  sometimes  hastening,  then  retarding  their  movements ;  while 
a  small  number,  adepts  in  travelling,  appear  quite  at  home ;  and 
by  their  loudly  repeated  commands  to  the  waiters,  and  dignified 
movements,  seem  desirous  to  attract  attention  to  their  vast  supe- 
riority in  matters  pertaining  to  travel. 

I  could  not  but  notice  a  delicately  beautiful  young  lady,  just  be- 
fore me,  exquisitely  dressed,  and  leaning  on  the  arm  of  her 
brother.  She  was  fainting,  she  said,  of  thirst ;  and  would  give  a 
kingdom  for  a  single  draught  of  cold  water.  A  stui'dy  and  gene- 
rous hand  quickly  extended  her  some,  in  a  tin  vessel.  She 
turned  away  with  an  air  of  disgust ;  she  could  not  bear  to  allay 
even  her  intolerable  thirst  from  a  cup  that  had  been  drunk  out  of 
by  others.     A  half  dozen  voices  eagerly  assured  her  that  the 


A  NICE  WELSH  FAMILY.  15 


cup  was  intact,  and  pressed  her  to  partake.  She  would  not  be- 
lieve them,  and  passed  on  with  the  crowd,  bearing  an  expression 
of  over-squeamishness,  that  caused  a  suppressed  tittering  among 
the  several  witnesses  of  the  act.  Two  or  three  foreigners  near, 
looked  at  each  other  in  surprise  ;  and  doubtless  noted  the  incident, 
as  material  for  future  use.  This  little  trait,  of  course,  forms  no 
fair  illustration  of  American  female  character ;  but  it  may  justly 
be  feared,  that  among  the  many  excellent  qualities  of  our  lovely 
countrywomen,  a  false  delicacy  in  matters  of  form,  too  often  ap- 
pears, as  a  blemish. 

Travelling  alone,  on  a  long  journey,  the  mind,  freed  from  the 
engrossing  details  of  petty  affairs,  obsei'ves  narrowly,  noticing  in- 
cidents that  might  escape  the  attention  at  other  times.  Near  me, 
in  the  cars,  was  an  interesting  group,  whose  peculiar  accent  be- 
trayed them  of  English  origin.  Their  kindly  nature,  evinced  in 
the  most  trivial  act  for  each  other's  comfort,  and  the  deep  affec- 
tion, modulating  the  very  tones  of  their  voice,  linking  them  in  a 
sweet  bond  of  family  iniion,  completely  charmed  me.  J  low  beau- 
tiful the  flower  of  love  that  springs  up  in  the  bosom  of  an  affec- 
tionate family  I  It  not  only  delights  the  eye,  but  fills  the  very 
air  you  breathe,  with  fragrance.  Seeking  the  first  o])portunity 
for  an  acquaintance,  I  learned  that  they  were  Welsh,  and  had 
been  residing  in  Canada,  where  the  father,  employed  by  the  Eng- 
lish government  in  making  surveys  of  the  unexplored  territories 
of  the  British  crown,  had  so  improved  his  former  condition,  as  to 
enable  him  to  revisit  the  scenes  of  liis  youth,  and  to  take  over 
with  them  to  the  New  "World,  some  of  their  relatives.  Undoubt- 
edly, the  bridit  anticipation  of  so  soon  seeing  Old  England,  and 
embracing  their  long-separated  friends,  had  enlivened  their  hearts, 
and  lent  an  unusual  warmth  and  glow  to  their  expression.  How 
keen  the  pleasure  of  the  emigrant,  as,  improved  in  worldly  pros- 


16  CEESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


pects,  lie  turns  his  steps  toward  the  dear  home  of  his  fathers ! 
"With  some  of  his  hard-earned  weakh,  he  gilds  the  declining 
years  of  his  aged  parents,  in  ameliorating  their  physical  condition 
—  while  he  staggers  their  imagination  with  recounting  the  mar- 
vels of  the  New  World ;  and  overwhelms  their  hearts  with  pater- 
nal joy,  as  he  presents  for  a  blessing  the  youthful  scions  that 
have  sprung  up  to  him,  amidst  the  fertile  lands  of  the  distant 
West.  The  political  economist,  in  estimating  the  advantages  that 
have  resulted  to  the  world,  by  the  discovery  of  Amei-ica  by  Co- 
lumbus, may  well  take  into  the  account  this  element  of  the  immi- 
grant's improved  condition. 


CHAPTER    III. 

SKILL  OF  YANKEE  CAPTAINS  —  IMPROVED  MANNERS  OF  HACK- 
MEN  IN  NEW  YORK  CITY  —  APPEARANCES  IN  THE  STREETS 
ON  SABBATH  MORNING  —  MY  NEAT  WELSH  HOTEL  —  HEALTH- 
BLOOMING  LANDLORD  AND  LADY  —  SMOKING  AND  BEER- 
DRINKING  IN  THE  BAR-ROOM  —  A  MENTAL  GLANCE  OF  NEW 
YORK  —  UNRESERVED  KINDNESS  OF  THE  BOARDERS — A  STROLL 
AMONG  THE  SHIPPING  —  PLEASING  REMINISCENCES  OF  GOLDEN 
DAYS  OF  BOYHOOD  —  ROLLING  TIDE  OF  IMMIGRATION  —  THE 
YANKEE    ALWAYS    TRAVELS    IN    THE    FIRST     STYLE. 

AppROACniNG  the  city,  the  beautiful  scenery  that  skirts  the 
East  river,  was  shut  out  from  our  view,  by  the  dense  mist,  occa- 
sioned by  tlie  change  of  temperature  in  the  air  during  the  night, 
that  hung  over  the  rippled  bosom  of  the  stream,  through  which 
we  were  noiselessly  gliding  with  the  speed  of  an  aiTow ;  while 
the  raw  morning  air,  and  the  feeling  of  loneliness  that  involunta- 
rily creeps  over  one,  on  entering  a  new  place,  kept  most  of  us 
within  the  cabins. 

Now  the  engine  ceases ;  all  the  passengers  crowd  upon  the 
deck ;  there  are  one  or  two  backward  turns,  some  little  manoeu- 
vreing,  when  our  floating  ])alace  shoots  in  by  the  pier,  directly  to 
the  spot  marked  out  for  her,  witli  a  jirecision  and  ease,  that  mark 
the  dexterity  of  our  Yankee  captains,  in  whatever  craft  they  un- 
dertake to  manage.  Then  comes  the  bustling  of  passengers,  ac- 
companied with  tlie  confused  noise  of  the  cabmen,  who  almost 

2» 


18  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


deafen  you  M'ith  their  repeated  importunities  for  your  luggage. 
This  is  not  a  little  embarrassing  to  those  who  travel  for  the  first 
time,  and  annoying  enough  to  every  one.  In  justice,  it  must  be 
observed,  in  passing,  that  this  feature  of  travelling  life  has  mate- 
rially improved  in  the  State  of  New  York,  within  a  few  years. 
The  time  w^as,  when  it  had  become  absolutely  intolerable  ;  when 
passengers  approached  New  York  or  Albany  with  feelings 
akin  to  those  of  seamen,  when  passing  througli  the  famous  Straits 
of  Caraccas,  at  the  time  when  the  buccaneer  held  sway  in  those 
seas. 

Accepting  the  invitation  of  my  new  acquaintance,  to  take  rooms 
at  the  hotel  kept  by  a  friend  of  his,  in  "Walker  street,  I  leisurely 
strolled  along  thither,  with  my  valise  in  hand.  On  leaving  the 
pier,  what  was  my  surprise !  It  being  Sabbath  morning,  the  for- 
eign population  were  out ;  and  the  German  and  the  French  lan- 
guages greeted  my  ear  with  as  much  frequency  as  my  own  ;  and 
then  so  densely  thronged  were  all  the  streets,  that  I  should  really 
have  supposed  myself  in  London,  rather  than  in  New  York,  as  I 
formerly  knew  it.  And  here  let  me  say,  for  the  benefit  of  those 
who  intend  travelling  abroad,  and  who  would  go  in  a  simple  style, 
and  be  free  from  the  trouble  and  expense  of  looking  after, 
and  removing  much  luggage,  that  it  is  better  in  all  respects  to 
leave  your  trunks  and  extra  suits  at  home.  A  few  changes  of 
linen,  and  an  extra  coat,  with  the  articles  of  toilet,  all  of  which 
can  be  put  into  a  valise,  will  answer  all  the  purposes  of  comfort- 
able travelling.  In  any  of  the  cities,  and  especially  in  those  of 
Europe,  articles  of  clothing  can  always  be  purchased,  when 
needed,  with  the  advantage  of  being  in  the  latest  style ;  while  the 
anxiety  and  trouble  avoided,  and  the  expense  saved,  which  would 
be  something  of  an  item  in  a  long  journey,  are  really  of  consid- 
erable importance. 


WTILSH  LANDLORD  AND  LADY.  19 


Arrived  at  the  hotel,  I  found  the  landlord  and  his  ladj,  a 
charming  young  couple,  with  countenances  blooming  with  health 
and  vivacity.  They  were  extremely  neat  in  their  persons  and 
dress,  and  the  most  sociable  and  obliging  people  in  the  world.  I 
was  immediately  shown  my  room,  which  was  both  commodious 
and  airy,  and  contained  an  ample  bed,  as  clean  and  voluptuous  as 
I  should  have  expected  to  find  in  the  house  of  a  friend.  The 
warm  breakfast  was  awaiting  us  ;  and  we  found  the  fare,  though 
simple,  both  excellent  and  abundant ;  while  the  clean,  sanded 
floor  of  the  dining-i'oom,  the  snowy-white  napkins  beside  our 
plates,  and  the  gleaming  knives  and  forks,  all  served  not  a  little 
to  heighten  the  relish  of  the  meal.  Indeed,  the  whole  house  was 
a  pattern  of  neatness,  in  wide  conti'ast  with  the  shabby  elegance 
of  some  of  our  so-called  genteel  boarding  houses.  There  was, 
withal,  pervading  everything,  an  antique  quaintness  and  simplicity, 
which  brought  to  one's  mind  some  of  the  better  sort  of  English 
inns,  described  by  English  writers,  inducing  a  feeling  of  home,  so 
congenial  to  the  heart  of  a  stranger.  The  only  material  draw- 
back to  the  pleasantness  of  the  house  to  a  traveller,  was  the 
smoking  of  pipes,  drinking  of  beer,  and  fierce  and  boisterous 
conversation,  that  was  ever  going  on  in  the  bar-room.  It  really 
seemed  that  the  genius  of  the  immaculate  weed  and  tlie  glorious 
old  ale,  had  usurped  absolute  possession  of  that  part  of  the  edi- 
fice, and  was  having  things  entirely  his  own  way.  ]>ut,  aside 
from  this  feature,  the  house  was  greatly  to  be  conunended  for 
its  many  excellent  qualities.  Thus  noting  the  salient  features  of 
your  hotel,  may  seem  trivial  to  the  reader  ;  but  let  me  assure  him, 
that  should  he  ever  travel,  he  will  find  his  personal  comfort  and 
disposition  of  mind  so  greatly  to  depend  upon  the  qualities  of  his 
liotel,  as  hardly  to  forbear  making  mention  of  tliat  part  of  the 
path  of  his  travel,  ever  afterward. 


20  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


To  sketch  the  details  of  a  week's  sight-seeing  in  New  York 
city,  would  form  a  long,  and  what  might  justly  be  considered  an 
inappropriate  chapter  in  a  book  professedly  of  foreign  travel ;  al- 
though not  even  an  American,  in  a  visit  to  the  emporium  of  the 
New  World,  would  fail  of  ample  material  for  the  employment  of 
his  pen.  The  almost  fabulous  growth  of  the  city  in  wealth  and 
population ;  the  gigantic  spread  of  its  commerce,  with  ships 
whitening  every  sea ;  the  ever-rolling  tide  of  foreign  immigration, 
crowding  the  shores  of  its  majestic  harbor ;  and,  at  the  same  time, 
the  equally  increasing  domain  of  those  sublime  institutions,  the 
School,  the  Church,  and  Asylum,  generously  encircling  the  em- 
pire of  mind,  —  and,  on  the  one  hand,  rapidly  assimilating  the 
foreign  population,  as  it  reaches  its  shores,  to  the  elements  of  re- 
publican character;  and,  on  the  other,  antagonizing  the  sordid 
power  of  wealth,  combined,  form  a  series  of  agencies,  so  grand  in 
outline,  so  rapid  in  march,  so  unceasing  in  action,  and,  moreover, 
so  powerful  in  results,  as  to  astonish  and  elevate  the  mind  of  the 
beholder.  In  their  contemplation,  surrounded  as  he  is  by  the 
evidences  of  their  greatness,  he  feels  as  if  living  in  an  age  of 
powerfully  quickened  energies,  and  of  high  moral  grandeur ;  and 
the  pulses  of  his  life  beat  fuller  and  quicker.  The  ineffectual 
struggle  of  the  fine  arts  for  a  seat  upon  the  throne  of  mind ;  the 
vicissitudes  and  fate  of  authors  and  other  literary  men  in  their 
rugged  and  toilsome  ascent  up  the  hill  of  fame ;  the  unbounded 
success  of  the  gigantic  printing  press  ;  the  cosmopolitan  phase  of 
the  city,  in  which  are  represented  the  costume,  physiognomy,  and 
specific  character  of  almost  every  nation  upon  the  globe ;  the 
phantasies  of  public  amusements ;  the  caprice  of  fashion ;  the 
sombre  aspect  of  vice  and  crime ;  the  abject  state  of  destitution ; 
and  the  sore  annoyance  of  petty  larceny  and  deception,  together 
form  so  many  features  in  the  physiognomy  of  this  life-beating  me- 


A  STROLL  AMONG  THE  SHIPPING.  21 


tropolis,  for  the  study  of  the  traveller  ;  and  unsusceptible  indeed 
must  be  that  mind  which  is  unmoved  in  their  contemplation.  But 
I  must  not  dwell  on  these  and  many  other  features  in  the  physi- 
ogmy  of  this  magic-growing  city,  —  topics  rich  in  reflections.  I 
will,  therefore,  skip  a  few  pages  (as  the  schoolboys  say),  taking 
permission,  however,  to  glance  at  a  topic  or  two  in  connection  with 
the  incidents  of  the  way,  just  to  keep  up  the  thread  of  the  narra- 
tive. 

Most  of  the  boarders  at  our  house  were  of  the  better  sort  of 
English,  Scotch,  or  Welsh  people,  on  their  way  to  the  mother- 
country,  or  home,  as  they  call  it,  to  visit  their  friends.  They 
were,  as  might  be  expected,  in  the  best  of  spirits,  —  cheerful  and 
lively,  with  hearts  overflowing  with  emotion,  in  confident  antici- 
pation of  the  happiness  that  awaited  them.  Happy  souls  !  might 
no  cruel  turn  of  the  treacherous  wave  over  which  they  were  soon 
to  be  wafted,  disappoint  their  hearts'  fondest  wishes  ! 

Tlie  conversation  naturally  turned  upon  a  passage.  They  had 
nearly  all  secured  theirs,  in  different  ships  ;  and  they  all  solicited 
that  I  would  make  mine,  each  in  his  particular  vessel ;  and  the  in- 
vitation was  extended  with  that  unreserved  cordiality  which  left 
no  room  to  doubt  of  its  sincerity.  It  would  have  afforded  me 
sincere  pleasure  to  accept,  especially  had  they  all  been  going  in 
one  ship,  —  for  who  does  not  love  to  be  witli  open  and  warm- 
hearted people,  particularly  when  they  are,  as  in  this  case,  sensible 
and  intelligent  ?  but  I  feared  that  my  plans  would  not  permit.  A 
stroll  among  the  shipping  in  port,  with  me  a  favorite  way  of 
spending  a  leisure  hour  when  in  the  city,  awakened  the  usual  re- 
miniscences of  that  period  of  my  early  life,  when,  with  golden 
scenes  overhead,  and  flowers  beneath  my  feet,  I  danced  gaily 
over  the  bounding  billow,  not  only  of  fleeting  life,  but  also  of 
the  ocean.      There  is  much  in    a  sailoi"'s  life,  to  captivate  the 


22  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAK-WORLD. 

imagination  of  a  bold  and  spirited  youth.  Its  changes  ;  its  thril- 
ling scenes ;  the  varied  scenery  of  countries ;  the  pecuhar  cos- 
tumes and  manners  of  different  nations ;  with  that  abandon  mode 
of  life,  so  charming  to  the  undisciplined  character,  —  all  render  it 
in  consonance  with  the  fire  and  buoyancy  of  free  and  careless 
life.  There  is  something  m  the  calling,  too,  that  enlarges  the 
mind,  and  elevates  the  character,  making  ample  amends  for  the 
rough  and  angular  points  it  leaves  upon  its  apprentices.  Our  glo- 
rious sea-captains,  for  their  noble  bearing,  enlarged  views,  and  gen- 
erous impulses,  may  well  thank  old  Neptune  for  his  efficient  in- 
fluence. 

The  large  number  of  packet  and  other  ships  in  port,  and  soon 
to  set  sail  for  England  or  France,  appeared  thronged  with  passen- 
gers. Indeed,  the  tide  of  travel  setting  toward  Europe  from  the 
United  States,  if  not  so  great  as  that  rolling  from  Europe  towards 
the  United  States,  is  still  not  inconsiderable ;  and  fully  merits  to 
be  taken  into  the  account,  in  estimating  accurately  the  aggregate 
of  immigration  to  this  country.  A  very  large  proportion  of  the 
passengers  that  go  out  in  these  ships,  are  those  that,  having  for- 
merly immigrated  to  this  country,  are  now  on  a  visit  to  their  friends 
in  Europe  ;  and  after  a  transient  stay  there,  return,  bringing  per- 
haps with  them  others  of  their  friends  and  acquaintances,  to  ad- 
vance the  'W^estern  stride  of  empire.  It  is  evident,  therefore,  that 
if  all  who  land  upon  our  shores  be  set  down  as  so  much  immi- 
gration, there  will  be  some  included  who  have  already  been  reck- 
oned. The  rates  for  passage  in  the  first  class  of  the  packet-ships, 
were  about  as  follows  :  —  in  the  first  cabin,  one  hundred  dollars, 
including  board  and  wine ;  in  the  second  cabin,  twenty  dollars, 
and  found  in  bread,  tea,  and  coffee ;  for  deck  passage,  twelve  dol- 
lars, with  bread,  and  access  to  the  caboose  to  prepare  the  meals. 
In  many  of  the  ships,  the  second  cabin  was  as  commodious  as  need 


HABITS  OF  THE  YANKEE  AND  THE  EUROPEAN.      23 


be,  —  being  provided  Avitli  state-rooms  and  comfortable  berths. 
Indeed,  the  second  cabin  in  these  ships  was  formerly  the  first 
cabin,  and  used  as  such,  until  the  falling  off  of  the  first-class  pas- 
sengers, who  now  mostly  go  by  steamers,  and  the  increase  of 
travel  with  the  second-rate  passengers,  made  it  for  the  interest  of 
the  company  to  divide  the  cabin,  and  provide  for  a  large  and 
respectable  part  of  the  travelling  community,  who  are  better 
satisfied  with  moderate  charges,  —  provided  they  can  have,  at  the 
same  time,  comfortable  quarters.  Among  the  passengers  in  the 
second  cabin,  and  even  on  the  deck,  you  will  frequently  meet  with 
persons  of  considerable  wealth,  and  of  high  intelligence.  But 
you  will  rarely  see  an  American  there.  The  habits  of  the  Yankee 
and  the  European,  are  widely  difierent  in  this  respect.  The  latter  is 
accustomed  to  accommodate  himself  to  his  pecuniaiy  circumstan- 
ces, or  to  his  position  in  life ;  wliile  the  former  never  thinks  of 
this.  lie  rarely  travels  but  in  the  lirst  style,  —  ordering  the  best 
of  everj'thing,  at  least  so  long  as  he  has  money  to  foot  the  bills. 
Brother  Jonathan  may  be  close  and  hard-fisted  on  his  own  soil,  in 
trade  with  his  fellows ;  but  when  he  travels,  there  is  not  a  more 
liberal  soul.  lie  parts  with  his  money  as  freely,  and  with  tlio 
grace  of  a  titled  millionaire,  used  to  the  thing  from  youth.  This 
trait  of  our  countrymen  is  so  well  understood  upon  the  continent 
of  Europe,  that  an  American  traveller  is  expected  to  pay  more 
for  everything  he  orders,  than  any  other  person ;  and  the  charges 
on  the  route  are  not  unfrequently  graduated  in  conformity  with 
this  expectation.  When  an  American  ship  is  telegraphed  to  one 
of  the  cities  of  the  north  of  Europe,  it  usually  throws  the  entire 
city  into  a  state  of  rejoicing,  not  seen  on  the  approach  of  the  sliii)S 
of  any  other  nation.  Not  unfrequently,  salutes  are  fired,  and  the 
church  bells  rung,  in  expression  of  welcome.  This  may  be  owing 
in  part  to  IIr'   favor  with  which   the  Amei'icans  and   the  United 


24  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


States  are  regarded  by  these  people ;  but  it  will  not  be  doubted 
that  the  principal  thing  which  moves  these  impulses,  is  the  golden 
anticipation  of  the  money  that  is  to  be  cast  among  them  by  the 
generosity  of  the  crew  and  officers. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

THANKSGIVING  TO  THE  NEW  ENGLANDER  AWAT  —  OBSERVANCE 
OF  THE  DAY  BY  THE  ENGLISH  AND  "WELSH  BOARDERS  —  THE 
ADVANTAGES  OF  GOING  IN  A  FRENCH  VESSEL  —  ODD  AND 
INSPIRING  SENSATIONS  ON  SAILING  FROM  THE  "WHARF  —  THE 
PILOT,   AND    HIS    FRENCH. 

Nov.  25(h.  Thanksgiving !  "NYhat  pleasing  reminiscences  it 
awakens  !  Sweetly  embalmed  in  memory  are  gladsome  scenes  of 
the  past.  Linked  with  the  present,  they  glide  before  the  mind, 
draAvn  thither  by  the  silver  chord  of  association ;  while  fancy, 
aided  by  the  mellowing  liand  of  time,  smilingly  interweaves  her 
golden  threads.  You  are  at  once  transported  to  the  venerable 
domicile  of  an  aged  gi-andfatlier.  Once  a  year,  at  least,  his  heart 
bursts  the  bands  in  which  the  sordid  aims  of  hfe,  the  rest  of  the 
year,  so  narrowly  confine  it ;  and  the  austere  and  wrinkled  coun- 
tenance, darkly  shaded,  by  carping  at  the  folly  and  extravagance 
of  the  age,  now  expands  with  a  generous  and  benignant  smile. 
The  doors  in  the  parental  mansion  have  been  thrown  wide  open 
at  an  early  hour,  and  the  halls  now  ring  with  the  merry  voices  of 
youth,  mingled  with  the  deep  tones  of  middle  life,  and  the  pleasing 
garrulity  of  old  age.  Soon  comes  the  long-anticipated  event. 
A  table  of  ample  dimensions,  with  the  time-honored  turkey,  and 
other  rich  viands,  prepared  by  the  good  old  grandmother,  assisted 
by  some  of  the  more  skilful  aunts,  greets  the  eye  with  its  rich 
burden.     Around  the  festal  board  gather  uncles,  aunts,  cousins, 

3 


26  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

the  beloved  grand-parents,  and,  peradventure,  au  invited  guest  or 
two,  —  when  genial  mirth  and  conviviality  heighten  the  pleasure 
of  the  annual  feast.  The  evening  ghdes  off,  enlivened  by  story 
or  song ;  while  the  younger  members  of  the  family  group,  one  by 
one,  silently  withdraw  to  enjoy  the  youthful  pleasures  of  the  social 
party,  or  dance  where  soft  eyes  look  love  to  eyes,  which  speak 
again  in  the  unmistaken  language  of  the  heart.  But  if  Thanksgiv- 
ing-day awakens  pleasing  recollections,  these  are  not  unfrequently 
accompanied  with  those  of  a  sadder  hue.  When  memory  turns 
the  shroud  of  departed  joys  —  of  endearing  ties  niptured  by  the 
ruthless  hand  of  death,  it  strikes  the  key-note  of  the  dirge  of  our 
remembrances.  Over  the  spu-it  of  the  New  Englander,  distant 
from  his  home,  a  lonely  feeling  creeps,  on  the  recurrence  of  this 
day. 

We  dined  plainly  to-day ;  and  I  began  to  think  that  we  should 
have  nothing  to  recognize  the  observance  of  the  hallowed  event. 
In  this,  I  was  agreeably  mistaken.     In  the  afternoon,  we  were 

favored  with  a  visit  from ,  the  celebrated  hai-pist.    He  had 

the  kindness  to  entertain  us  with  some  of  his  sweetest  pieces  ;  and 
it  is  needless  to  say,  that  we  were  highly  delighted  with  the  per- 
formance. The  harp  is  rarely  played  in  the  United  States  ;  but, 
from  the  classical  associations  connected  with  the  instrument,  and 
its  sweet  tones,  it  never  fails  to  please,  when  its  strings  are  grace- 
fully and  skilfully  touched.  In  the  evening,  after  tea,  the  gentle- 
men boarders  of  the  house,  with  some  of  their  acquaintances,  as- 
sembled in  the  dining-room;  and,  after  drinking  two  or  three 
glasses  apiece  of  beer,  chose  one  of  their  number  chairman,  and 
held  a  convivial  meeting,  in  honor  of  the  day.  The  motion  that 
each  should  tell  a  story,  sing  a  song,  or  make  a  speech,  passed  by 
acclamation,— whereupon,  the  company  set  themselves  to  work  in 
lively  earnest,  and  they  gave  what  the  French  would  style  a  me- 


ADVANTAGES  OF  SAILING  IN  A  FRENCH  VESSEL.  27 


lange  of  noble  sentiments  and  graceful  turns  of  expression,  min- 
gled with  puerile  thoughts  and  coarse  allusions.  I  could  not  but 
admire,  however,  the  deep  and  melodious  tones  of  several  who 
sang,  although  not  so  much  could  be  said  in  favor  of  the  general 
character  of  their  performance.  Many  of  the  old  English  bal- 
lads, naturally  sung,  are  very  effective,  and  somehow  stir  up  emo- 
tions within,  quite  irresistibly.  It  was  all  strongly  English,  —  the 
full  tone,  broad  accent,  sluggish  manner,  and  thorougli  frankness, 
except  being  softened  with  more  generous  sentiments  than  is  usual 
with  the  English  in  their  sentiment  toward  America,  their  adopted 
home.  "America  as  she  is,  and  England  as  she  was,"  met  a 
hearty,  right  English-fashioned  reception.  The  evening  closed 
with  a  brief  speech  from  the  president,  who,  in  a  touching  and 
really  eloquent  manner,  contrasted  the  unhappy  condition  of  some 
of  our  fellow-men  in  foreign  lands,  with  the  favored  lot  of  the 
masses  in  this  country ;  and  concluded,  by  expressing  the  fervent 
wish  that  the  suffering  everywhere  might  be  speedily  relieved. 
On  the  whole,  this  was  not  so  bad  a  substitute  for  a  Thanks- 
giving ! 

Nov.  20t/i.  I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  secure  an  arrangement  for 
a  passage  across  the  Atlantic,  in  the  Union,  a  small  French  brig, 
Capt.  Pave.  As  the  vessel  Avas  by  no  means  heavily  built,  and 
was  deeply  laden,  a  person  in  the  least  timid,  might  have  hesitated 
to  venture  his  personal  fortune  in  so  infenor-sized  craft,  across  the 
vast  Atlantic,  at  so  boisterous  a  season ;  but  one  at  all  versed  in 
nautical  affairs,  well  knows  that  it  is  not  the  largest  ship  that  is 
the  safest,  or  most  comfortable,  even  in  a  severe  gale  at  sea.  lie- 
sides,  the  beautiful  model  of  the  Union  revealed  lier  an  excellent 
6ea-boat. 

The  captain  appeared  intelligent  and  well-disposed,  and  desired 
my  company  for  tlif  aid  1  might  be  to  liini  in  improving  his  knowl- 


CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD, 


edge  of  the  English  language.  The  accommodations  in  the  cabin 
were  very  superior,  for  a  vessel  of  the  size ;  and  being  the  only 
passenger,  I  should  be  the  object  of  exclusive  attention  "vvith  the 
officers  and  crew,  and  be  freed  of  the  annoyance  arising  too  often 
from  the  qualms  and  peevishness  of  landsmen  at  sea.  I  antici- 
pated much  advantage,  moreover,  from  the  fine  opportunity  it  of- 
fered, of  gaining  a  more  intimate  and  familiar  acquaintance  with 
the  idiomatic  French,  —  an  excellent  preparation  for  an  advanta- 
geous tour  through  the  country.  So  near  proximity  would  reveal 
intelligibly  to  my  mind  more  of  French  character,  taste,  and  pecu- 
liar ideas,  than  I  could  otherwise  gain,  —  as  well  as  enable  me  to 
learn  something  of  French  history,  not  written  in  books ;  and  to 
find  out  where  to  go,  to  travel  to  the  best  advantage ;  and  what 
objects  to  examine  as  the  most  interesting  and  instructive.  The 
boarders  at  our  house  congratulated  me  on  my  good  fortune,  and 
approved  my  judgment  in  the  choice  I  had  made.  I  retired  to 
my  state-room,  on  board,  at  a  late  hour,  with  a  racking  pain  in  my 
head,  arising  from  undue  exhaustion,  —  having  been  in  the  streets 
most  of  the  day  and  evening,  in  the  bustle  that  attends  the  eve  of 
a  journey.  Tossing  on  my  pilloAv  during  the  night,  I  had  but  just 
closed  my  eyes,  when  the  noise  of  ropes  and  strange  voices  over 
my  head,  aroused  me ;  and  when  I  reached  the  deck,  the  captain 
had  just  ordered  to  cast  off,  —  when  the  ship,  with  topsails  hang- 
ing like  the  roundabout  of  a  boy  just  decked  in  his  holiday  gear, 
was  yielding  to  the  gentle  breeze,  and  noiselessly  gliding  toward 
the  stream.  The  city,  like  a  huge  animal  just  aroused  from  its 
nightly  slumbers,  was  beginning  to  beat  with  pulse  and  energy. 
The  rays  of  the  rising  sun  were  gilding  the  summits  of  its  lofty 
spires ;  and  as  I  stood  upon  the  quarter-deck,  and  gazed  upon  the 
receding  city,  the  separating  link  in  the  golden  chain  of  home  and 
its  endearing  associations,  and  yielded  to  the  gentle  inspiration 


THE  PILOT,  AND  HIS  FRENCH.  29 

imparted  by  the  motion  of  the  vessel,  I  felt  seized  with  emotions 
that  must  enkindle  more  or  less  the  bosom  of  every  traveller,  as 
he  leaves  his  native  shore  for  a  distant  journey. 

I  was  diverted  from  this  momentary  reverie  by  the  novel-sound- 
ing and  energetic  commands  of  the  pilot,  which  were  instantly 
passed  by  the  officers  from  him  to  the  crew,  and  obeyed  by  them 
with  the  utmost  alacrity.  Being  nautical  phrases,  they  struck  my 
ear  as  oddly  as  if  modulated  in  a  language  quite  new  to  me.  A 
light  wind  wafted  us  along  during  the  day,  but  so  sluggish  was 
our  movement,  that  on  the  change  of  tide  setting  in,  we  came  to 
anchor  in  the  mouth  of  New  York  bay.  The  sky  became  deeply 
overcast,  and  there  was  strong  indication  of  a  gale  ;  but  this  did 
not  disturb  the  equanimity  of  the  captain  or  pilot,  who  were  yield- 
ing to  the  agreeableness  of  the  enchanting  domino,  and  fragrant 
Havana,  in  the  comfortably  warmed  and  hghted  cabin,  while  mas- 
ter Joseph,  one  of  the  ship's  apprentices,  most  delightfully  regaled 
us  with  the  silvery  tones  which  he  drew  from  his  violin,  with  the 
pkill  and  grace  of  a  Paganini.  But  in  the  latter  part  of  the  night, 
the  wind  increasing,  the  hands  were  mustered  to  find  a  shelter  for 
the  vessel  near  Staten  Island.  Here  we  remained  snugly  shel- 
tered from  tlie  wind,  which  blew  furiously  from  the  north-east, 
the  following  day  and  evening. 

This  part  of  the  island  was  dotted,  here  and  there,  with  tasteful 
country  residences ;  and  the  pilot,  who  was  extremely  obliging  and 
communicative,  related  to  me  incidents  in  the  hfe  of  the  gentle- 
man who  possessed  the  cottage  that  adorned  so  smilingly  the 
bluflf  of  land  near  us,  which  aptly  illustrated  the  capricious  nature 
of  fortune,  especially  in  rapid-growing  New  York. 

A  wealthy  gentleman  in  the  city,  at  his  death,  left  his  property 
to  be  equally  divided  among  his  children,  excepting  the  youngest 
eon,  who,  being  a  little  too  racy  in  his  habits,  had  allotted,  for  his 

3* 


30  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


share,  some  acres  on  the  uninhabited  islands  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
city,  at  that  time  nearly  valueless.  In  process  of  time,  —  thanks 
to  the  improved  taste  of  our  merchant-princes  for  country  palaces 
as  summer  resorts,  —  his  lands  became  so  enhanced  in  nominal 
value,  that  he  was  now  able  to  give  a  dinner  to  his  poorer  brothers. 
The  pilot  spoke  French  with  remarkable  fluency,  and  so  as  to 
be  readily  understood,  not  only  in  conversation,  but  by  the  crew 
in  his  orders ;  but  then,  he  made  a  perfect  homicide  of  the  French 
grammar,  mixing  up  the  particles  and  accidents  of  the  verbs  in 
pretty  Babel-like  confusion,  —  and  then  his  pronunciation,  and  the 
cadences  of  his  sentences !  As  they  struck  the  ear,  you  were 
rather  reminded  of  the  meeting  of  the  cross-currents  of  a  shallow, 
than  the  wavy  undulations  of  the  true  French  melody.  This 
was  not  surprising,  however ;  the  gi'eater  wonder  being,  that  in  so 
short  a  time  as  he  had  attended  to  the  study  and  practice  of  the 
language,  and  the  meagre  opportunity  he  had  had  for  its  acquisi- 
tion, that  he  should  have  been  able  to  speak  half  as  well.  It  went 
to  prove,  that  quickened  by  the  force  which  interest  imparts  to 
our  energies,  we  may  often  make  astonishing  acquisitions.  It  may 
suggest,  too,  a  valuable  pi-inciple  in  the  education  of  youth.  A 
scholar,  with  no  stimulus  to  excite  his  powers,  will  often  lifelessly 
drift  in  the  dead-sea  of  study  for  months,  and  even  years,  to  the 
no  small  vexation  of  his  teacher,  and  real  mortification  of  his 
parents ;  but  by  some  means  awaken  or  reanimate  his  sleeping 
faculties,  and  he  darts  off,  like  a  thing  of  life  before  the  freshening 
gale,  to  the  astonishment  and  delight  of  the  beholder.  The  pilot 
informed  me  that  there  were  no  less  than  one  hundred  and  eighty 
pilots  in  the  city,  and  that  they  were  organized  in  independent 
companies,  each  being  left  free  to  compete  with  the  rest  in  se- 
curing the  greatest  amount  of  pilotage.  If  a  vessel  is  spoken  in 
the  offing,  or  entering  the  harbor,  the  captain  is  obliged  to  pay,  at 


PILOTS  IN  NEW  YORK.  $l 

least,  half-pilotage.  The  old  pilots  complained,  and  with  some  jus- 
tice, of  the  act  of  Congress,  which  some  three  years  ago  removed  all 
restrictions  to  free  competition.  They  were  about  petitioning  the 
law-makers  for  a  reenactment  of  the  same,  securing  the  privileges 
of  the  craft  to  such  as  by  due  knowledge  and  experience  have 
claims  to  them.  This  largest  liberty,  though  certamly  unjust,  and 
quite  annoying  to  the  duly  qualified,  is  not  wholly  unproductive 
of  good  results.  To  it  may  be,  in  great  measure,  attributed  the 
vast  superiority  of  our  Yankee  pilot-boats,  in  point  of  beauty  of 
model,  and  quahty  of  speed,  over  those  of  any  other  nation. 


CHAPTER  V. 

EMOTIONS  ON  LOSING  SIGHT  OF  LAND  —  MODEL  OF  THE  VESSEL 
A  NATIONAL  BEAU-IDEAL  —  COMPARATIVE  STRENGTH  OF  THE 
VESSELS  OF  FRANCE  AND  ENGLAND  —  FARE,  AND  STYLE  OP 
LIVING  ON  BOARD  —  SOCIALITY  AT  MEALS  —  A  PORTRAIT  OP 
OUR   THREE  APPRENTICES. 

Dec.  Mh.  On  coming  on  deck  in  tlie  morning,  I  met  with  a 
clear  horizon,  and  a  piercing  wintry-air.  With  anchors  weighed, 
and  bellowing  canvas  set  to  a  brisk  gale  fi'om  the  north,  the  brig 
was  gallantly  ploughing  her  way  out  of  the  harbor,  in  company  with 
numbers  of  other  craft  with  prows  set  in  different  directions.  The 
scene  was  enlivening.  At  eight  o'clock,  with  a  moistened  eye,  we 
shook  hands  with  the  pilot,  and  bid  him  good-by,  intrusting  to  his 
care  our  last  missiles  of  love  and  friendly  affection  to  dear  friends 
that  we  were  fast  leaving  behind.  At  nine  o'clock,  the  captain  and 
mate  regulated  the  ship's  chronometer,  and  noted  the  bearings  and 
estimated  distance  of  Sandy  Hook,  —  when  the  ship's  bow  was 
fairly  turned  toward  beautiful  France.  At  eleven  o'clock,  p.  m., 
the  hills  of  Neversink  were  just  merging  below  the  horizon.  "We 
were  now  indeed  launched  upon  the  glorious  Atlantic,  with  a 
broad  expanse  of  three  thousand  miles  before  us.  As  my  eye 
lost  the  lingering  vestige  of  my  native  country,  and  "  reflections 
thick"  rushed  upon  me,  I  could  scarcely  repress  a  sigh.  As  I  turned 
away,  the  captain,  in  a  sympathetic  tone,  observed :  Vous  etes 
triste,  Monsieur,  vous  regrettez  voire  pays.     To  turn  the  subject 


FIRST  FEW  DAYS  FROM  PORT.  S3 

without  a  reply,  I  cast  a  glance  at  our  shoi't  canvas,  —  top-gallant- 
sails  being  furled,  —  and  then  pointed,  inquiringly,  at  a  large  ship 
near,  that  was  ploughing  by  us  under  top-gallant  studding-sails  — 
a  perfect  cloud  of  canvas.  lie  caught  my  naeaning  with  the 
quickness  of  a  Frenchman's  apprehension,  and  giving  a  true 
French  shrug,  exclaimed,  AJk,  Monsieur,  on  presse  ;  then,  turn- 
ing on  his  heel,  he  gave  me  a  hint  in  respect  to  such  matters,  that 
served  as  a  guide  for  the  rest  of  the  voyage. 

We  continued  rather  slowly  our  watery  path,  amidst  variable 
and  not  particularly  propitious  winds,  steering  first  broadly  off  to 
the  south-east,  under  that  sentiment  of  dread  which  all  foreigners 
have  of  our  u^merican  coast,  and  then  gradually  hauling  up  nearer 
our  course,  so  as  to  pass  neiu*  the  south  point  of  the  great  Bank 
of  Newfoundland.  We  soon  lost  the  sharp,  nipping  air  of  the 
land,  which,  under  the  double  influence  of  the  agreeable  power  of 
the  ocean  upon  the  superincumbent  atmosphere,  and  the  radiating 
force  of  the  Gulf-stream,  that  ocean-caldron  upon  our  coast,  soft- 
ened down  to  so  genial  a  temperature  as  to  remind  us  continually 
of  the  balmy  month  of  June,  rather  than  frosty  old  December, 
wrapped  in  furs  and  icicles  pendant  from  his  hoary  beard.  We 
were  quite  comfortable  without  fire  in  the  cabin. 

The  first  few  days  from  port  are  not  the  most  sociable  in  an 
ocean  passage.  The  crew  are  necessarily  busily  employed  in 
stripping  the  ship  of  her  land-hamper,  and  snugly  reducing  her 
to  a  sea-dress.  This,  with  noting  the  ship's  departure,  keeping 
her  reckoning,  and  writing  up  the  log-book,  neglected  by  the  ex- 
tra labors  in  port,  require  the  constant  attention  of  the  officers, 
while  the  captain  is  absorbed  in  his  accounts,  or  distracted  by  the 
ever-rising  images  of  his  wife  and  children,  or  the  voluptuous 
form  of  his  mistress,  making  a  captive  of  his  mind,  and  bearing 
it  to  the  endeared  family-circle,  or  to  the  hall  sounding  with  mirth 


34  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


and  revelry.  Even  the  steward  is  a  little  out  of  humor,  bustling 
in  the  cabin  in  setting  to  rights  things  disarranged  in  the  hurry 
of  leaving,  and  broadly  hinting  to  you  some  of  the  rules  by  which 
he  expects  you  will  be  governed,  if  you  desire  to  be  on  good 
terms  with  him.  While  the  passengers,  strangers  on  board  and 
strangers  to  each  other,  and  swelling  with  past  memories  and 
future  hopes,  will  feel  no  disposition  to  be  communicative. 

One  who  has  been  a  sailor  will  be  interested  in  nothing  re- 
lating to  maritime  scenery  more  than  in  observing  and  compar- 
ing the  model  and  build  of  the  vessels  of  different  nations,  as 
well  as  those  of  the  same.  He  will  easily  trace  a  striking  re- 
semblance between  the  physical  conformation  of  a  nation,  and  the 
architecture  of  its  ships.  The  ideas  of  beauty  which  seem  derived 
from  the  human  form,  and  which  constitute  the  basis  of  style,  are 
so  faithfully  transferred  to  ship-building,  that  one  could  easily  tell 
the  physical  conformation  of  the  people  of  a  nation,  even  before 
seeing  them,  if  favored  with  an  inspection  of  its  ships.  Who 
would  not,  for  instance,  come  at  a  pretty  good  idea  of  the  style  of 
beauty  among  the  Chinese,  after  seeing  one  of  their  elaborately- 
constructed  junks?  The  thick  and  rounded  form  of  a  Dutch 
craft  is  an  unvarying  model  of  the  captain's  bulky  frow  at 
home.  The  Englishman  is  heavily  built,  and  slow  in  his  move- 
ments; the  Frenchman,  lighter  in  mould  and  more  graceful  in 
action.  About  the  same  difference  may  be  seen  in  the  form  and 
construction  of  the  vessels  of  the  two  nations.  The  Americans, 
who  are  a  medium  between  the  English  and  the  French,  not  so 
heavy  as  the  former,  nor  so  light  as  the  latter,  have  maintained 
the  same  characteristic  in  their  ship-building.  They  have  com- 
bined the  peculiar  excellences  of  the  two  nations  most  happily, 
while  under  the  force  of  an  original  genius,  and  an  energy  im- 
parted by  free  institutions,  they  have  improved  upon  all  models, 


AMEIJICAN  AND  FOREIGN  SAILORS.  35 


and  may  now  be  considered  foremost  in  the  march  of  ship-archi- 
tecture. 

Our  ship,  aUhough  of  fine  model  and  graceful  finish,  was  yet  of 
slight  build.  The  timbers  were  smaller  than  they  would  have 
been  in  an  English  or  even  American  vessel  of  the  same  size. 
The  captain  assured  me  that  she  was  as  strong,  having  the  infe- 
riority in  this  particular  more  than  made  up  by  superiority  of 
material,  and  better  fastenings.  This  might  be  true,  yet  the 
imagination  has  something  to  do  with  the  comfortable  feeling  of 
security  on  ship-board,  and  the  reflection  of  the  passenger  that  a 
single  plank  separates  him  from  the  watery  caverns  below,  is 
greatly  consoled  when  the  eye  everywhere  meets  great  solidity 
and  apparent  strength.  And,  unfortunately  for  the  arguments  of 
the  captain  in  the  case  of  our  vessel,  the  frequent  dismal  sound 
of  the  pumps,  when  she  rolled  heavily,  increasing  as  the  sea  in- 
creased, with  the  unharmonious  cracking  and  creaking  of  the 
partitions  and  wainscoting  in  the  cabin,  spoke  a  language  not 
quite  so  unmistakable,  saying  to  the  feelings,  at  least,  that  greater 
solidity  would  have  better  resisted  the  enormous  straining  to 
which  she  was  exposed,  heavily  laden  as  she  was,  and  surged  to 
and  fro  by  the  powerful  waves  of  the  heavy  ground-swell. 

I  was  forcibly  struck  with  the  indifferent  manner  of  working 
ship,  by  our  sailors.  There  was  not  the  promptness  and  celerity 
of  movement,  seen  on  board  of  an  American  ship ;  yet  the  crew 
yielded  all  due  respect  to  the  captain's  commands.  It  may  with 
some  reason  seem  strange,  that  a  people  naturally  so  ingenious  in 
design,  and  dexterous  in  execution,  as  are  the  French,  should  not 
excel  in  a  profession  calling  for  quickness  of  apprehension  and  fa- 
cility of  adaptation  ;  yet,  I  tliink  that  the  inferiority  of  the  Frencli, 
as  sailors,  even  to  the  English,  Dutch,  and  Swedes,  is  generally 
admitted.    They  seem  to  lack  the  boldness,  the  physical  hardiness, 


36  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


and  even  nautical  skill  of  those  people.  It  is  true  that  we  now 
have  few  ships  manned  fully  by  American  seamen.  In  our  ma- 
rine, all  who  are  not  soon  promoted  to  officers,  are  so  intemperate 
and  quarrelsome,  as  to  render  them  undesirable  for  crews ;  and  it 
is  now  becoming  a  pretty  general  practice,  to  supply  our  ships 
with  sailors  from  the  northern  nations  of  Europe,  —  particularly 
from  Denmark  and  Sweden.  These  sailors,  naturally  rather  slow 
and  methodical,  when  transferred  to  our  ships,  have  their  energies 
so  quickened  by  the  spirit  of  American  enterprise,  as  to  answer 
even  a  superior  purpose.  For,  manned  with  them,  our  ships  in- 
variably make  shorter  passages  with  smaller  crews,  than  the 
French  ships  of  equal  tonnage.  The  fare  of  the  sailor  is  an 
item  of  some  note  in  the  bill  of  the  aqueous  part  of  his  amphibi- 
ous life.  Cut  off  from  the  variety  of  shore-life,  and  doomed  to  a 
dull  routine  of  duty,  eating  and  drinking  constitute  about  all  of  his 
physical  comforts  and  mental  recreations.  In  this  respect,  as  well 
as  many  others,  the  condition  of  the  sailor  has  become  much  im- 
proved of  late  years,  not  only  in  our  own  marine,  but  in  that  of 
all  other  nations.  Yet  we  are  still  greatly  in  advance.  "We  give 
sailors  better  quarters,  better  grub,  and  better  pay,  than  others ; 
and,  it  may  be  added,  we  require  them  to  work  a  little  more  vigo- 
rously. I  observed  that  the  living,  with  the  crew,  was  much  after 
the  American  fashion,  —  three  meals  a  day,  and  coffee  and  tea,  — 
except  that  the  bread  was  of  an  inferior  quality ;  and  that  dinner 
was  invariably  preceded  by  soup,  —  the  Frenchman's  staff  of  life. 
In  the  cabin,  on  the  contrary,  the  style  was  an  obsequious  imitation 
of  the  French,  —  two  meals  a  day,  —  breakfast  at  ten  o'clock,  A. 
M.,  occupying  at  least  one  hour ;  and  dinner  at  five  o'clock,  p.  M., 
at  which  we  sat  not  less  than  one  hour  and  a  half,  whether  the 
weather  was  stormy  or  fine,  whether  it  blew  high  or  low,  whether 
you  could  sit  upright,  and  swallow  your  food  with  some  degree  of 


FKENCH-PREPAKED  DIET.  37 


decency,  or  whether  the  reeling  and  lurching  of  the  ship  obliged 
you  to  hold  on  with  one  hand,  to  retain  your  position,  and  to  make 
the  other  serve  the  three-fold  purpose  of  steadying  your  knife  and 
plate,  and,  in  the  interval  of  a  lull,  steering  the  scanty  and  indif- 
ferently-prepared food  in  the  channel  to  the  welcome  vortex  of  so 
many  edible  things.  Claret-wine  was  freely  served  as  beverage, 
taking  the  place  of  tea  and  coffee.  This  I  was  never  particu- 
larly partial  to,  even  in  my  more  wine-drinking  days ;  but,  by  fre- 
quent tasting,  and  the  contagious  example  of  the  captain  and 
others,  I  found  such  influences  to  have  their  usual  effect ;  and,  in 
a  httle  time,  I  began  to  quaff  with  something  of  the  smack  of  a 
relish  of  the  thing.  We  had  coffee  served  at  breakfast,  after  the 
courses,  but  very  sparingly.  I  thought  it  of  sufficiently  high 
quahty,  in  all  conscience,  being  so  highly  concentrated  as  nearly 
to  overpower  my  sapient  nerves ;  but  the  captain,  of  different 
gustatory  education,  would  frequently  scold  the  steward  for  the  in- 
sipidity of  the  dish,  —  when,  to  supply  the  deficit,  he  would  add 
a  little  strong  brandy,  or  perhaps  a  slice  of  butter,  or  even  both  at 
the  same  time.  Tea  we  never  indulged  in,  except  some  one  who 
was  ill,  or  had  been  trying  to  quicken  the  sluggish  physical  man 
by  a  dose  of  medicine.  Even  then,  it  was  prepared  so  economi- 
cally, and  sipped  so  mincingly,  that  you  would  have  supposed  it 
the  rarest  and  most  expensive  of  exotics. 

I  must  confess  that  at  first  it  required  a  little  effort  to  come  to 
like  some  of  the  French-prepared  articles  of  diet,  such,  for  in- 
stance, as  our  classic  dish  of  codfish  and  potatoes,  prepared  in  olive 
oil,  and  otlier  like  departures  from  American  modes  of  regimen  ; 
but  taste  in  matters  of  food,  as  well  as  in  the  fine  arts,  is  so  much 
a  matter  of  education  and  habit,  that  the  opinions  and  ways  of 
those  of  the  society  in  which  we  are  accidentiilly  cast,  soon  greatly 
modify  our  own  ;  and  in  a  short  time,  1  found  little  diihculty  in 

4 


38  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


conforming,  in  a  degree  that  astonished  myself,  to  ahnost  whatever 
was  served.  Our  time  at  meals  was  always  spent,  French-like, 
very  agreeably.  The  captain  was  always  then  in  the  best  of  spir- 
its, particularly  communicative,  striving  to  draw  out  conversation 
from  others,  and  interest  all.  Our  meals  thus  served  to  enliven 
the  mind,  as  well  as  refresh  the  body.  They  were  really  green 
spots  in  our  otherwise  rather  dreary  passage,  and  served  to  make 
us  better  satisfied  with  ourselves,  and  more  pleased  with  each 
other.  This  feature  of  French  life  deserves  more  than  a  brief 
mention.  It  merits  being  imitated  by  Americans  on  ship-board, 
who  rapidly  devour  their  meals  in  moody  silence,  then  quickly 
rush  on  deck,  as  if  eating  was  a  sad  and  desperate  duty,  the 
quicker  done,  the  sooner  over. 

The  only  exception  to  this,  was  the  captain's  stereotyped  fault- 
finding with  the  steward.  This  was  carried  to  a  point  absolutely 
intolerable  to  every  one,  I  will  venture  to  say,  but  himself.  The 
dishes  at  meals  followed  each  other  in  course  ;  and  as  each  was 
brought  into  the  cabin  by  the  steward,  it  was  subjected  to  a  care- 
ful inspection  by  the  captain,  who  was  sure  to  find  something 
wrong,  —  whereupon  would  follow  a  volley  of  French  derogatory 
expressions ;  while  the  culprit,  a  fine  fellow,  by  the  way,  quite  ac- 
customed to  the  ordeal,  would  submit  with  the  utmost  calmness, 
replying  respectfully,  but  occasionally  dropping  an  expression  so 
adroitly,  and  with  so  much  sang  froid,  to  the  captain's  absurdities, 
as  to  make  it  difficult  for  us  oftentimes  to  suppress  our  risibilities. 

We  had  on  board  three  boys,  the  ship's  apprentices.  Foreign 
vessels  usually  carry  more  or  less  of  these  cabin  appendages,  ac- 
cording to  the  tonnage  of  the  ships.  They  are  bound  to  the  cap- 
tain or  ship  for  a  series  of  years,  to  be  inducted  into  the  mystery 
of  seamanship  and  navigation.  They  live  in  the  cabin,  and  are 
exempted  from  some  of  the  drudging  of  the  common  sailor,  but 


SHIP'S  APPRENTICES.  89 


are  more  directly  under  the  control  of  the  captain.  One  can 
hardly  expect  to  rise  to  the  station  of  officer,  who  has  not  served 
a  regular  apprenticeship.  Many,  however,  before  their  period  of 
service  expires,  run  away  to  America,  where  a  more  propitious 
field  awaits  them. 

The  character  and  tastes  of  our  apprentices  were  extremely 
diverse ;  and  their  cases  illustrate  most  strikingly  the  folly  of  not 
duly  considering  the  natural  aptitudes  of  boys,  before  making 
choice  of  their  pursuits  in  life.  The  youngest,  whom  I  will  call 
Francois,  was  a  puny  striphng ;  and  from  constitutional  temper- 
ament, and  gentleness  of  disposition,  as  unfitted  for  the  rough  ca- 
reer of  a  sailor,  as  it  would  seem  possible  for  one  to  be.  He  was, 
moreover,  at  times,  di'cadfully  sea-sick,  though  he  had  been  on 
board  six  months.  He  would  then  lie  around  under  foot,  utterly 
inditi'erent  whether  his  head  was  up  or  down,  or  what  fate  befel 
him.  In  these  fits  of  physical  and  mental  prostration,  if  you  had 
deliberately  thrown  him  into  the  sea,  I  verily  believe  he  would 
have  manifested  no  opposition  to  the  act.  Yet,  when  the  sea  be- 
came smooth,  and  nature  recovered  a  little,  he  would  manifest  a 
degree  of  intelligence  and  spirit,  which  sliowed  that  he  was  by  no 
means  destitute  of  the  elements  of  success,  if  the  right  calling  had 
been  chosen  for  him.  As  it  was,  he  was  incessantly  moaning  com- 
plaints at  the  wretchedness  of  his  lot,  and  even  calling  down  im- 
precations on  the  heads  of  those  whose  mistaken  zeal  for  his  wel- 
fare, had  [)laced  him  in  his  present  situation.  Joseph,  one  of  the 
other  lads,  Avas  cjuite  as  averse  to  a  sea-life,  as  was  Francois,  al- 
though his  dishke  arose  from  different  causes.  The  son  of  a 
priest,  educated,  and  accustomed  to  the  refinements  of  society, 
there  was  no  congeniality  between  his  cultivated  tastes,  and  the 
coarse,  unintellectual  life  on  ship-board.  His  mind  having  been 
strengthened  by  discipline,  he  evinced  more  fortitude  than  the 


40  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


other,  and  was  wont  to  put  the  best  side  of  things  outward.  How- 
ever clouded  his  spirits  by  tempestuous  weather,  on  the  first  abate- 
ment of  the  storm,  a  gleam  of  sunshine  would  arise  from  his  elas- 
tic spirit,  even  before  it  appeared  in  the  heavens  over  our  heads. 
We  called  him  our  moving  barometer ;  but  he  was  even  more 
than  this,  —  for  the  captain  referred  to  him  all  disputed  points  in 
literature,  with  the  expectation  of  a  satisfactory  exjilanation  ;  and 
he  more  than  once,  on  our  passage,  cheered  our  droopmg  spirits 
with  the  exquisite  tones  which  he  knew  so  well  how  to  draw  from 
his  favorite  violin,  and  as  often  amused  us  with  graphic  sketches 
with  the  pencil,  —  some  of  them  so  supremely  droll,  as  to  defy  the 
gravity  of  the  most  imperturbable  of  our  company.  His  hatred, 
nevertheless,  to  a  sailor's  life,  was  so  unconquerable,  that,  with  un- 
usual moral  integrity,  he  would,  I  have  no  doubt,  have  run  away, 
had  an  opportunity  offered ;  and  it  did  seem  too  great  a  sacrifice  thus 
to  misemploy  his  fine  intellectual  powers  and  rare  accomplishments. 
The  third  boy,  Pierre,  or  Peter,  was  just  the  antipode  of  the 
others.  He  was  a  true  son  of  Neptune ;  and  was  never  more 
happy  than  when  engaged  arduously  in  ship-duties.  His  consti- 
tution appeared  of  iron,  resisting  alike  the  effects  of  heat  or  cold; 
and,  wet  or  dry,  cold  or  warm,  he  was  ever  the  first  at  his  post, — 
while  no  murmurings  escaped  him,  however  severe  the  task,  or 
great  the  privation.  Notwithstanding  his  boldness  and  undaunted 
spirit,  a  smile  of  goodly  nature  was  ever  playing  around  his  coun- 
tenance ;  and  your  every  request  was  promptly  and  willingly 
complied  with.  In  the  absence  of  the  ship's  steward,  the  captain 
had  assigned  the  place  to  Pierre,  who,  in  addition  to  this,  stood  his 
night-watch,  and  steered  his  trick,  and  was  always  up  in  taking  in 
sail  or  reefing.  He  appeared  to  have  no  idea  of  selfishness,  and 
was  only  satisfied  in  doing  all  in  his  power.  Success  to  his  ca- 
reer !    He  deserves  to  be  one  day  a  commodore. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

HEAVY  "WEATHER  —  THE  SAILOR  A  STRANGER  TO  FEAR  —  THE 
SUBLIMITY  OF  A  DREADFUL  GALE  —  THE  ACCURATE  RECKOX- 
IXG  OF  THE  CAPTAIX  —  ONE  NOT  THE  BEST  TEACHER  OF  HIS 
OWN  LANGUAGE  —  THE  INTENSE  DESIRE  OF  GETTING  IN  AT 
THE  CRUEL  SPORT  OF  FORTUNE  —  "'TIS  SWEET  TO  BE  DROWNED 
IN  one's  own  waters"  —  THE  THRILL  OF  A  NARROW  ESCAPE 
— ECSTASY  OF  THE  CREW  OK  DESCRYING  LAND. 

The  winds  were  variable,  and  the  weather  so  mild  in  the  first 
of  our  passage,  that  I  began  to  conclude  that  crossing  the  North- 
em  Atlantic  in  the  winter  was  not,  after  all,  the  dubious  affair 
that  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  its  being,  on  leaving  New  York, 
—  but,  after  passing  a  little  to  the  eastward  of  the  Grand  Bank, 
and  reaching  a  more  northern  latitude  than  we  had  been  sailing 
in,  the  wind  set  in  to  blow  from  the  west,  veering  from  that  point 
to  the  north-west,  when  we  had  a  succession  of  gales,  so  furious 
and  constant,  as  indeed  to  speed  us  quickly  across  the  ocean,  but 
which,  at  tlie  same  time,  were  near  ingulfing  us  in  the  fearful 
surges  of  the  deep.  During  this  time,  our  brig  could  bear  but  little 
canvas,  or  none ;  and  she  labored  so  severely  from  the  cross-swell, 
occasioned  by  the  veering  of  the  wind  some  three  or  four  points, 
as  to  require  very  frequent  and  protracted  duty  at  the  pumps. 
Such  weather  as  we  experienced  is  a  trying  ordeal  for  a  vessel 
to  pass  through,  when  deeply  laden  with  certain  kinds  of  cargo,  — 
such,  for  instance,  as  loose  grain  ;  and  many  a  craft,  in  passing  it, 

4* 


42  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


has,  doubtless,  met  a  sad  fate.  As  for  our  barque,  she  behaved 
most  of  the  time  manfully,  although  she  appeared  like  a  tiny- 
bauble,  a  sport  to  the  fury-lashed  waves  ai'ound.  I  must  confess 
that,  at  times,  I  was  somewhat  apprehensive,  lest  an  over- 
strained part  might  give  way,  and  we  all  be  hastened  to  the  awful 
depths  below  us  ;  and  imagination,  Avith  no  direct  object  of  con- 
templation, easily  conjured  up  jihantoms  of  dread  and  doubt. 
Even  the  captain,  —  who,  to  sport  with  our  fears,  one  day,  at  the 
table,  jocosely  remarked,  that  our  hopes  were  certainly  freighted 
in  a  fragile  barque,  that  but  a  single  plank  separated  us  from  eter- 
nity, and  that  if  but  an  inch's  length  of  oakum  should  loosen  from 
a  seam,  then  adieu  to  the  bright  scenes  of  this  world,  —  wore  an 
anxious  and  thoughtful  expression.  More  even,  I  thought  to 
detect  at  times,  a  lurking  of  fear  in  his  varying  expression.  But 
the  sailors  evinced  not  the  slightest  concern.  They  attended  to 
their  duties  with  the  utmost  composure,  and  when  their  work  was 
done,  hastened  below,  threw  themselves  into  their  berths,  and 
slept  as  soundly  as  if  in  a  snug  chamber  at  home. 

The  sailor,  when  on  ship-board,  is  a  stranger  to  fear.  The 
most  tempestuous  w^eather,  such  as  would  overwhelm  the  mind  of 
a  passenger,  filling  it  with  the  keenest  apprehension,  he  regards 
as  only  a  natui-al  occurrence,  which  he  does  not,  if  possible,  allow 
even  to  interrupt  his  hours  of  rest.  To  illustrate  how  familiarity 
with  scenes  of  danger  gradually  removes  from  the  mind  the  fears 
with  which  they  are  naturally  accompanied,  I  might  attempt  a 
faint  description  of  an  awful  night  which  we  experienced,  and  such 
as  occur  at  rare  intervals,  even  in  the  stormiest  sea-going  life, 
furnishing  to  the  traveller  who  may  witness  such,  vivid  re- 
miniscences in  his  entire  after-life. 

The  wind,  which  had  been  steadily  increasing  for  several  days, 
had  now  (December  16th)  reached  a  degree  of  force,  which  it 


THE  SUBLIMITY  OF  A  TERRIFIC  Gx\LE.  4$ 


seemed  impossible  to  pass.  It  actually  bellowed  and  screamed 
around  our  hull  and  through  the  cordage,  as  if  old  Boreas  himself 
was  present,  goaded  to  madness  by  some  unseen  fury.  It  would 
frequently  come  in  irresistible  gusts,  hurling  off  the  ridge  of  a 
wave,  and  bearing  it  with  electric  speed,  in  the  form  of  spray,  far 
off  to  leeward.  The  smallest  piece  of  the  foresail  possible  to  be 
set,  just  to  steady  the  direction  of  the  vessel,  was  more  sail  even 
than  she  could  well  bear ;  and,  under  the  herculean  force  of  the 
gale,  she  reeled,  staggered,  yet  pressed  on,  with  a  celerity  abso- 
lutely thrilling.  Under  the  pressure,  the  masts  seemed  straining 
from  their  base ;  and,  as  she  darted  off  with  alarming  speed  on 
the  ridge  of  a  mountain-wave,  the  hull  would  quiver  like  an 
aspen-leaf. 

The  sublimity  of  the  scene  presented  to  our  view  was  in  faithful 
harmony  with  the  terrific  grandeur  of  the  occasion.  The  entire 
canopy  of  the  sky  was  deeply  overcast.  Several  degrees  from 
the  horizon,  quite  around  us,  it  was  dark  and  impervious, — but  as 
the  eye  ascended  the  vaulted  arch  of  the  heavens,  the  clouds  be- 
came more  transparent,  until,  at  the  zenith,  the  full-orbed  moon 
shed  down  her  placid  rays,  which,  after  struggling  througli  the 
broken,  and  light  fleecy  clouds  over  our  heads,  were  reflected 
broad  around,  ilhiniining  ocejm  and  sky.  The  broadly  crested 
waves,  in  all  directions,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  was  a  feature 
entirely  new  to  me,  and  they  contrasted  fearfully  with  the  inky- 
blackness  of  the  horizon. 

Kopes  had  been  drawn  diagonally  across  the  quarter-deck,  to 
cling  to  in  a  heavy  lurch  of  the  brig,  or  when  an  unlucky  sea 
should  break  over.  The  captain  and  officers,  in  storm-sea  rig, 
tarpaulin  north-westers  tied  around  the  body,  and  spray  dripping 
from  moustache  and  beard,  resembling  half-drowned  rats,  were 
m'ted  on  what  resembled  the  weather-side  of  the  quarter-deck, 


44  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


while  I  alone  had  the  other.  Here  we  remained  during  the 
night,  scarcely  a  word  being  spoken,  except  the  few  necessary  to 
complete  the  commands.  The  brig  behaved  manfully,  scudding 
being  her  forte  ;  but  two  or  three  seas  tumbled  over  on  our  quar- 
ter during  the  night,  threatening  to  ingulf  us.  So  strained  was 
every  part  of  the  vessel,  that  the  water  rushed  down  through  the 
seams  of  the  deck,  at  other  times  perfectly  tight,  to  the  discom- 
fiture of  the  boys  in  the  cabin,  who  sent  up  their  shrieks,  feeling, 
doubtless,  that  it  was  the  signal  of  their  departure  from  this  world. 
Occasionally  a  sea  of  gigantic  proportions  would  heave  up  almost 
directly  over  our  heads,  then  in  a  playful,  fantastic  manner  would 
topple  and  threaten  to  bow  its  briny  crest  full  upon  us ;  but  the  good 
brig  would  some  how  or  other  manage  to  get  the  audacious  mon- 
ster beneath  her,  when,  pressed  m  each  other's  embrace,  they 
would  move  on  together  for  a  moment  with  intense  celerity.  The 
night  was  one  long  to  be  remembered,  and  the  scene  fearful  and 
thrilling  in  the  extreme ;  but  fear  was  not  the  predominant  feeling 
in  my  own  breast.  The  sublimity  of  the  occasion  elevated  the 
soul  above  the  grovelling  emotions  of  ordinary  Ufe,  and  entranced 
it  in  the  regions  of  Kature's  splendid  domain. 

But  how  did  the  sailors  on  board  view  the  matter  ?  They  ap- 
peared to  regard  it  with  little  more  than  ordinary  concern.  The 
watch  on  deck  were  kept  most  of  the  time  at  the  pumps  ;  but  as 
soon  as  relieved,  they  tumbled  into  their  berths  in  the  forecastle, 
and  slept  soundly  until  called  again.  The  only  complaint  they 
made  the  next  day,  when  the  wind  had  abated,  was,  that  the  deck 
over  their  heads  leaked  so  badly  during  the  night,  as  almost  to 
drown  them  in  their  cots. 

As  we  neared  the  English  coast,  it  was  with  no  reluctance  that 
we  parted  with  the  incessant  westerly  gales,  that  we  had  fully  ex- 
perienced in  their  terrific  violence,  and  came  into  the  variable 


EDUCATION  AND  TASTE  OF  THE  CAPTAIN.  45 


winds  and  shifting  weather  of  the  coast.  The  dreary  views  that 
we  had  been  so  long  accustomed  to,  were  now  reHeved,  and  our 
hearts  gladdened  by  the  constant  appearance  of  vessels  bound  to 
sea.  Some  of  them  I  recognized  as  our  noble  American  ships, 
which,  with  a  white  cloud  of  canvas,  were  majestically  speeding 
their  way  to  the  "  land  of  the  brave  and  the  home  of  the  free." 
Within  a  few  miles  of  the  coast,  we  spoke  an  English  ship  which 
had  left  sight  of  land  a  few  hours  before ;  and,  by  exchange  of 
reckoning,  we  found  the  longitude  of  the  two  captains  to  differ  but 
a  few  miles.  On  expressing  my  surprise  at  this  accuracy,  the 
captain  assured  me  that  he  rarely  came  wider  of  the  mark  ;  and  I 
had  good  reason  to  credit  his  statement.  Added  to  good  general 
scholarship,  he  possessed  a  thorough  knowledge  of  navigation,  and 
the  collateral  sciences  serviceable  to  a  complete  elucidation  of  all 
the  principles  of  the  noble  science.  His  ample  state-room,  on 
board,  was  liberally  provided  with  nautical  instruments,  and  he 
evinced  a  pride  even  in  keeping  the  most  complete  and  accurate 
account  possible,  of  the  ship's  reckoning,  by  the  several  methods 
revealed  ]>y  modern  science. 

The  captain  showed  his  superior  education  and  taste  in  nothing 
more  pleasingly  than  in  his  choice  private  library ;  and  he  exhib- 
ited a  knowledge  of  literature,  that  would  have  done  honor  to  a 
professor  of  bellelettres.  He  translated  English  with  ease,  but  was 
not  able,  however,  to  speak  a  word  of  it ;  and  his  attempts  to  pro- 
nounce were  surprisingly  awkward,  and,  at  times,  supremely  ludi- 
crous. He  often  expressed  a  high  idea  of  the  value  of  the  Eng- 
lish language.  With  a  complete  knowledge  of  it  and  the  French, 
he  could  travel,  he  used  to  say,  and  be  understood  the  world  over. 

The  plan  of  mutual  instruction,  by  set  lessons,  was  not  carried 
out  by  us  with  the  same  enthusiasm  with  which  it  was  commenced. 
Frequent  inteiTuptions,  occasioned  by  the  duties  of  his  post,  and 


46  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


the  want  of  habits  of  regular  appHcation,  soon  shook  the  captain's 
confident  resokitions  ;  while  myself  enjoying  just  the  advantages 
I  most  coveted,  of  continually  hearing  the  spoken  language,  in  its 
varied  phases  of  tone  and  accent,  and  freedom  to  converse  at 
pleasure,  I  readily  yielded  to  the  example  of  the  captain,  of  ap- 
pearing at  lesson-hour  at  first  rarely,  and,  finally,  not  at  all.  It 
was,  doubtless,  not  the  first  ardently-formed  plan,  soon  neglected. 
Besides,  we  found  ourselves  not  so  competent  teachers  of  our  res- 
pective tongues,  as  we  imagined  ourselves  to  be ;  and  I  became 
thoroughly  convinced  of  what  I  had  long  believed,  that  a  person 
is  not  so  successful  a  teacher  of  his  native  dialect,  as  of  a  foreign 
language  that  he  has  mastered.  The  reason  is  obvious.  Having 
acquired  his  own  language  principally  by  imitation,  he  understands 
it  little  more  than  practically  ;  and  he  is  surprised  at  his  own  ig- 
norance, when  asked  to  explain  some  of  its  simplest  elementary 
principles.  In  learning  a  foreign  language,  on  the  contrary,  he 
necessarily  begins  at  the  basis,  and  learns  by  general  rules,  in  a 
short  time,  much  that  would  otherwise  be  tedious  to  acquire,  and 
at  great  expense  of  time.  Besides,  having  gone  over  the  precise 
route  himself,  he  knows  by  experience  the  difficulty  of  the  way, 
—  which  cannot  be  apparent  to  the  native,  who  has  reached  his 
haven  by  quite  a  different  passage.  He  thus  becomes  a  better 
pilot  in  the  literary  sea.  As  an  illustration  in  point,  of  the  woful 
ignorance  often  existing  even  among  the  learned,  respecting  the 
simplest  elements  of  our  language,  the  amusing  spectacle  was  ex- 
hibited, a  few  years  since,  at  the  "  Literary  Hill,"  over  which 
gleams  one  of  our  "  Twin  Stars  of  the  East "  of  venerable  pro- 
fessors, hoary  with  classical  and  oriental  learning  as  well  as  age, 
actually  submitting  to  the  pupilage  of  a  famous  Professor  Bron- 
son,  devoting  several  hours  a  day  of  their  hallowed  time,  to  tug- 
ging away  with  most  commendable  docility  and  perseverance,  and 


HEAD-WINDS  AND  CALMS.  47 


for  what,  —  why,  wonderful  to  say,  to  learn  the  powers  of  the  let- 
ters of  the  English  alphabet.  The  ear  of  the  facetious  student, 
at  this  time,  while  passing  through  the  halls  of  the  buildings,  to 
his  recitation-room,  was  wont  to  be  greeted  with  certain  explosive 
groans,  produced  by  the  "  dorsal  and  abdominal  muscles,"  remind- 
ing him  of  the  awful  travail  of  the  spirit,  oppressed  by  the  moun- 
tain-weight of  ancient  lore ;  and  striving  with  desperate  energy 
to  discover  the  neglected  paths  which  lead  to  the  oozing  rills 
whence  issue  the  tiny  streams  that  form  the  ocean  of  all  science 
and  literature.  And  if  he  chanced  to  stroll  through  the  groves 
about  the  "  Hill,"  at  almost  any  moment  of  the  day,  his  ear  was 
sure  to  be  struck  with  strange,  inhuman  sounds,  as  if  the  very 
rocks  and  vales  were  vocal,  and  there  were  airy  tongues  on  every 
side.  It  is  unquestionable,  I  think,  that  with  the  exception  of 
pronunciation,  a  person  will  not  succeed  so  well  in  teaching  his 
native  tongue,  as  a  foreign  language  which  he  has  mastered. 

Our  delightful  anticipations  of  soon  reaching  land,  were  now 
most  cruelly  sported  with,  by  a  period  of  light  head-winds  and 
calms,  —  so  tliat,  at  the  expiration  of  several  days,  the  captain  in- 
formed me  that  we  had  not  advanced  during  the  time,  the  distance 
of  two  miles  towards  the  end  of  our  route.  Such  bitter  experi- 
ences are  by  no  means  unfrequent.  Indeed,  it  often  occurs,  in 
crossing  the  Atlantic,  as  elsewhere  in  passages,  that  a  ship,  after 
having  been  most  agreeably  wafted  to  within  a  day's  sail  or  so,  of 
port,  and  when  the  most  intense  gladness  pervades  every  heart 
on  board,  with  the  joyful  expectation  of  soon  embracing  long-sepa- 
rated loved  ones,  and  of  sweetly  enjoying  the  bhssful  emotions 
that  arise  in  the  breast  from  all  the  endearments  of  home,  native 
country,  and  friends,  that  these  keen  anticipations  are  suddenly 
doomed  to  a  most  tantalizing  and  provoking  reverse,  by  a  succes- 
sion of  head-winds,  calms,  or  even  adverse  gales,  —  sometimes 


48  CRESTS  FEOM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


blowing  the  vessel  back  half  the  distance  of  her  course,  causing 
long  and  dreary  days,  and  even  months,  to  elapse,  before  actually 
reaching  the  eager  goal  of  affection's  wishes.  There  are  probably 
few  things  in  life  more  trying  to  the  spirit's  fond  desires,  than  such 
disappointments ! 

While  we  were  thus  languidly  reclining  on  the  smooth  and  vo- 
luptuous surface  of  the  circular  expanse,  of  which  we  were  the 
centre,  yielding  a  slight  motion  to  the  gentle  heaving  of  its  majes- 
tic breast,  the  air  became  oppressed,  and  the  entire  sky  gathered 
up  in  lowering  presages,  admonishing  us  of  the  certain  proximity 
of  a  storm.  From  the  dangerous  nature  of  the  European  coast 
in  this  latitude,  and  its  exposure,  especially  at  this  season,  to  sud- 
den and  irresistibly  violent  gales,  these  dark  omens  conveyed  no 
very  comfortable  feeling  to  my  own  mind,  —  although  the  rest  on 
board  seemed  too  much  carried  away  with  joyous  anticipations  of 
home,  to  share  my  apprehension. 

As  I  had  fully  expected,  the  wind,  on  the  29th,  set  in  from  the 
south,  steadily  increased  in  force,  accompanied  with  rain.  We 
continued  ploughing  steadily  our  way,  under  the  pressure  of  a 
twelve-knot  breeze,  it  being  so  thick  that  we  were  able  to  see  but 
a  short  distance.  To  some  casual  remark  of  mine,  in  respect  to 
the  propriety  of  running  for  land,  under  so  unfavorable  circum- 
stances of  seeing  it  suliiciently  far  ahead  for  safety,  the  captain 
playfully  remarked  that,  running  as  we  were,  was  indeed  dangerous, 
but  then  it  was  "  sweet  to  be  drowned  in  one's  own  waters."  Des- 
pairing, however,  of  making  point  d'Ouessant,  the  headland  run 
for  usually  by  Fi-ench  vessels  coming  from  the  West ;  and,  deter- 
mining our  precise  situation,  by  means  of  exchanging  signals  with 
an  English  ship  beating  out,  at  11a.  m.  we  squared  away,  and  ran 
directly  up  the  channel.  By  8  p.  m.,  the  gale  was  at  its  height ; 
and  it  being  dark,  and  dangerous  running,  the  captain  very  pru- 


A  THRILLING  INCIDENT.  49 


dently  deemed  it  best  to  heave  the  ship  to,  or,  as  the  French  ex- 
press it,  to  put  the  ship  en  cape.  But,  if  it  is  dangerous  running 
under  such  circumstances,  the  channel  being  commonly  thronged 
with  vessels  going  in  every  direction,  it  is  no  less  so,  lying  to,  — 
the  vessel  quite  unmanageable,  and  liable  to  be  run  into  by  others. 
Of  this  we  were  made  sensible,  by  a  most  thrilling  incident.  The 
brig  had  no  sooner  been  placed  in  her  situation  to  the  wind,  and 
everything  properly  secured,  when  the  watch  on  deck  cast  up  a 
most  piercing  shout,  that  a  sail  was  bearing  down  close  upon  us. 
"We  all  sprang  upon  deck,  bellowed  to  the  top  of  our  voices ;  and 
while  the  mate,  with  French  celerity,  placed  the  ship's  lantern  in 
the  rigging,  others  set  up  a  drumming  on  barrel-heads,  and  tin 
vessels,  with  whatever  they  could  seize  hold  of.  All  this,  which 
transpired  in  a  moment,  caused  no  change  in  the  course  of  the 
approaching  vessel.  She  was  coming  directly  for  our  midships, 
and  was  nearing  us  with  awful  quickness  ;  but  while  revolving  in 
my  own  mind,  what  I  should  do  for  safety  in  the  moment  of  the 
expected  terrible  concussion  of  the  two  ships,  there  was  all  at 
once  heard  a  confusion  of  voices  on  board  of  the  other,  a  creaking 
of  yards,  in  the  act  of  changing  the  position  of  the  sails,  —  when 
her  towering  prow,  dimly  defined  by  the  white  foam  of  her  fore- 
foot, gleaming  through  the  blackness,  gradually  turned  toward  our 
stem,  and,  in  a  moment,  she  thundered  past  us,  within  a  stone's 
toss  of  our  taffrail,  a  ship  of  gigantic  size.  It  was  a  hair- 
breadtli  escape,  and  thrilled  my  nerves  to  their  very  extremities. 
How  often  is  the  sailor  called  to  witness  such  scenes,  when  he  is 
suddenly  hurled  upon  the  very  brink  of  existence,  with  the  fear- 
ful chasm  of  sudden  death  yawning  full  Ijcfore  him! 

At  one  o'clock,  the  next  morning,  the  wind  changed  to  the  north- 
west, and  wlien  we  came  on  deck,  at  sunrise,  we  were  greeted 
with  a  bright  sky,  and  the  frosty  air  from  the  land.     Our  men 

5 


50  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAX-WOELD. 


experienced  a  night  of  hardship,  but  they  conducted  bravely. 
Several  vessels  during  the  day  passed  us,  bound  out  the  channel. 
At  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  we  were  called  up  to  see  Guernsey 
light.  As  the  bright  blaze,  gleaming  over  the  water,  broke  upon 
our  vision,  it  sent  a  thrill  of  delight  through  every  heart.  For 
several  hours,  the  most  tumultuous  joy  reigned  on  board.  The 
boys  jumped  and  capered  in  wild  ecstasy.  This  was  quite  natural. 
It  was  their  first  voyage, —  six  months  far  away  from  home.  We 
had  just  completed  a  tempestuous  passage.  The  long-anticipated 
day  had  arrived.  They  were  soon  to  tread  again  the  sunny  soil 
of  their  beloved  country,  and  embrace  affectionate  friends.  It  is 
true  that  the  word  home  is  not  found  in  the  French  language,  and 
that  many  of  the  delicious  associations  which  its  name  calls  up  in 
the  breast  of  an  American  or  an  Englishman,  are  unknown  to  the 
French ;  but  no  people  are  more  enthusiastically  attached  to  their 
country  than  the  latter,  —  more  proud  of  its  glory,  more  passion- 
ately wedded  to  its  bright  scenes  and  delectable  life.  Their  ardent 
and  impetuous  temperament  gives  liveliness  to  their  expression. 
It  was  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  our  boys  appeared  a  little 
intemperate  in  manifesting  their  emotions. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

LAND  UPOX  THE  OLD  WORLD — A  MOODY  FIT  OF  THE  CAPTAIN  — 
SANDWICH  ISLANDERS  —  ELEVATING  EFFECTS  OF  OCEAN- 
SCENERY    UPON    THE    SOUL SABBATHS     AT    SEA  —  SPORTS    OF 

THE  CAPTAIN  —  PIG-BUTCHERY  —  ARRIVAL  OFF  HAVRE  —  EN- 
TERING THE  PORT  —  THE  FRENCH  WOMAN'S  CHARGE  FOR 
BEEF-STEAK  —  FRENCH    MODE  OF    LIVING  —  FURNISHED    ROOMS 

THEIR    AGREEABLENESS THE    LAND-LADY'S     DAUGHTER 

MISTAKE  IN  GETTING  INTO  MONS.  P.'S  SCHOOL  —  THE  PROS- 
PECT FROM  THE  HEIGHTS  OF  ANGOUVILLE THE  ENGLISH- 
MAN AND  HIS  DAUGHTER  —  MODE  OF  TEACHING  CHILDREN  — 
IMPROVEMENT  SUGGESTED  FOR  AMERICAN  MOTHERS. 

Early  the  next  forenoon  we  saw  in  the  mellowing  distance, 
Isle  d' Auriguy.  Land  upon  the  old  world !  How  strong  the  emo- 
tions it  awakens !  At  3,  p.  m.,  Cape  de  la  Hoguc  was  visible, 
and  at  7,  p.  m.,  the  light  of  Barfleur  became  distinct  to  view.  We 
were  now  gently  rippling  through  the  water  with  a  leading  breeze, 
—  our  course  direct  for  Havre,  wliich  we  expected  to  see  in  the 
morning.  As  I  paced  the  deck,  I  musingly  reviewed  the  brief 
stage  of  life  just  passed.  My  passage  had  been,  on  tlie  whole,  as 
pleasant  and  profitable  as  could  reasonably  have  been  expected. 

I  had  l)een  treated  with  kindness,  even  indulgence,  by  all  on 
board.  This  might  have  been  owing  in  part  to  the  disposition  I 
cultivated  of  giving  the  least  possible  trouble  to  others.  By  con- 
versing freely  with  those  on  board,  I  had  learned  much  of  value 
to  me,  of  their  intimate  sentiments  and  mode  of  thought  and  feel- 


52  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


ing.  I  gained  a  glimpse  of  how  much  can  be  accomplished  by 
the  mind,  when  nerved  by  strong  determination  and  resolute 
energy.  In  the  short  space  of  four  weeks,  I  had  nearly  com- 
pleted writing  and  pronouncing  aloud,  as  a  review,  the  exercises 
in  OUendoi-fF's  French  Method,  besides  reading  through  a  number 
of  French  and  English  books,  and  gleaning  an  armful  of  old  num- 
bers of  Knickerbocker  and  English  reviews.  This,  with  writing 
my  journal,  and  several  hours  a  day  spent  in  earnest  conversation, 
I  thought  quite  successful  for  my  poor  brain. 

The  captain  was  in  general  reasonably  forbearing  in  disposition ; 
but  one  evening,  at  table,  he  was  -moody  and  lowering.  lie  mut- 
tered some  deep-toned  ejaculations,  and  then  mentioned  a  dernier 
resort,  a  horrid  necessity  pf  using  arms  ;  and  questioned  the  boys 
about  their  pistols.  I  then  more  fully  comprehended  the  meaning 
of  the  two  bright  muskets,  standing  at  the  head  of  the  table,  and 
remembered  with  no  feeling  of  pleasure,  that  quite  a  serious  mu- 
tiny had  broken  out  on  board,  in  their  outward  passage,  and  that 
the  captain  had  encountered  difficulty  with  the  commander  of  a 
French  ship  in  Boston,  and  was  expecting  to  be  obliged  to  settle 
the  dispute  by  the  falsely-honorable  mode  of  a  duel,  on  reaching 
Bordeaux.  The  meal  was  swallowed  in  almost  general  silence, 
and  when  the  officers  and  boys  had  retired,  the  captain  observed 
to  me,  by  way  of  explanation,  that  the  crew  had  become  indolent, 
and  that  he  feared  he  should  be  compelled  to  make  use  of  his 
pistols.  He  seemed  aware  of  no  other  means  of  spurring  their  en- 
ergies than  by  such  barbarity.  The  facility  with  which  a  French- 
man, Spaniard  or  Italian  glides  from  the  most  amiable  and  placid 
state  of  temper  to  the  most  intense  hate  and  fury,  on  the  slightest 
provocation,  is  a  marked  feature  in  their  character,  and  a  Yankee 
in  their  company,  if  he  desii'es  to  give  no  offence,  is  obliged 
to  exercise  the  utmost  caution  of  manner. 


ELEVATING  EFFECTS  OF  OCEAN  SCENERY.  63 


Two  of  our  crew  were  natives  of  the  Sandwich  Islands.  They 
were  very  green  when  they  came  on  board,  in  ^New  York,  having 
been  to  sea  only  in  their  passage  from  the  Islands,  and  compre- 
hending not  a  word  of  the  French  language,  and  but  a  few  sen- 
tences of  English.  Their  progress  was  very  marked.  Before 
arriving  at  Havre,  they  could  understand  any  order  given,  per- 
form with  facility  most  of  the  ordinary  duties,  and  even  speak 
some  French.  They  were  quite  mtelligent,  and  if  a  fair  speci- 
men of  their  race,  furnish  cheering  evidence  of  the  capacity  of 
this  class  to  reach  an  advanced  stage  of  civilization. 

Many  complain,  and  with  some  justice,  of  the  irksomeness  of 
an  Atlantic-passage ;  and  yet,  to  a  contemplative  mind,  the  ever 
varying  scenery  is  full  of  the  deepest  interest.  The  immensity 
of  the  ocean,  wrapping  the  extent  of  the  globe  ;  its  infinite 
changes,  —  at  one  time  a  glorious  mirror,  then,  swelling  in  gentle, 
undulating  waves,  rolling  their  silver  volume,  and  again,  in  wrath- 
ful spleen  lifting  their  angry  foreheads  to  the  sky,  impress  the 
mind  with  awe,  and  elevate  it  to  a  larger  conception  of  the  Infinite 
Power,  which  can  hold  the  waters  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand,  and 
with  his  breath  fan  the  languid  air  into  the  furious  tornado. 
The  imagination  is  busy  in  fathoming  its  unknown  depths,  and  in 
figuring  the  unseen  monsters  that  lurk  beneath  its  treacherous 
bosom. 

Bright  aurora,  sending  her  glittering  shafts  across  the  eastern 
sky  ;  the  orb  of  day  springing  from  his  briny  couch,  and  casting 
a  flood  of  light  into  illimitable  space,  careering  through  the  vaulted 
arch,  and  tlien  j)lunging  into  the  sparkling  waves  ;  the  gorgeous 
tints  of  the  western  sky ;  the  refulgent  splendor  of  the  starry 
night,  like  angel's  eyes  in  azure  robes ;  the  placid  beauty  of  the 
queen  of  night,  walking  witli  graceful  majesty  through  the  heav- 
ens, and  shedding  her  silvery  light  uj)on  the  smiling  face  of  the 


54  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


ocean ;  the  fantastic  aurora  borealis  gaily  illumining  the  northern 
heavens;  the  water-spout,  charged  with  the  colors  of  the  prism, 
raising  itself  from  the  sea  like  a  column  of  crystal,  supporting  the 
canopy  of  the  sky,  —  each,  and  all,  are  infinitely  beautiful,  and 
furnish  food  to  the  mind  and  the  eye. 

But  the  purest  and  highest  pleasure  derived  from  a  sea-passage, 
to  a  mind  imbued  with  deep  religious  feelings,  is  found  in  the 
circumstances  which  heighten  the  enjoyment  of  its  Sabbaths.  A 
Sabbath  on  the  ocean,  when  all  around  is  grand  and  lovely,  may 
be  made  a  most  refreshing  season  to  the  spirit.  There  is  some- 
thing in  the  situation,  and  the  surrounding  scenery,  to  open  the 
soul  to  an  intimate  communion  with  thoughts  of  the  spiritual 
world.  Man's  loneliness,  his  feebleness,  and  utter  dependence 
upon  a  supreme  power,  is  then  more  forcibly  realized  ;  while  the 
boundless  expanse  which  everywhere  meets  his  eye,  the  immense 
vault  of  heaven  over  his  head,  and  the  fathomless  deep  beneath 
his  feet,  are  striking  emblems,  and  heighten  the  idea  of  the  vague 
and  infinite  future,  towards  which  he  is  speeding.  What  can  be 
really  more  profitable,  as  well  as  spiritually  fine,  than  a  silent  prom- 
enade, on  some  beautiful  Sabbath  evening,  with  a  serene  sky,  pro- 
pitious breeze,  and  moon  and  fleecy  clouds  overhead  ?  The  move- 
ment of  the  ship,  darting  forward  in  graceful  celerity,  quickens 
the  sentiment  of  existence  ;  while  those  majestic  creations  of  Na- 
ture's handiwork,  floating  in  the  azure  vault,  with  an  illimitable 
background  of  space,  seem  to  elevate  his  soul,  and  beckon  it  to 
worlds  where  faith  j)oints  to  infinite  happiness.  I  must  say,  that 
to  me,  the  Sabbaths  were  not  the  most  unintei*esting  features  of  our 
passage.  Promenading  the  deck,  and  yielding  to  the  inspiring  in- 
fluences spread  out  all  around,  in  such  benificent  profusion,  or  seated 
in  some  nook  of  the  brig,  studying  the  Scriptures,  the  hours  came 
laden  with  golden  tx-easures.     The  grand  and  simple  language  of 


SABBATHS  AT  SEA.  55 


the  inestimable  volume  was  greatly  heightened  by  the  sublimity 
of  surrounding  nature,  while  the  blessed  thoughts  seemed  to 
breathe  a  purer  and  holier  flame.  I  was  certainly  conscious  of 
an  awakening  influence  upon  my  own  mind  by  the  powerful  ap- 
peals therein  made  to  the  wandering  and  fugitive  soul,  and  of  rev- 
elations of  more  intimate  and  broader  views  of  the  true  purposes 
of  human  lite,  of  the  wisdom  of  Divine  Providence,  and  of  the 
holy  attributes  of  an  Eternal  Father. 

The  captain,  differently  educated,  and  under  the  influence  of 
associations  quite  dissimilar  to  mine,  in  respect  to  the  claims  of 
the  holy  day,  chose  to  while  away  the  time,  when  the  sea  was 
sufficiently  calm,  in  a  more  amusing  manner  ;  but  he  had  the  po- 
liteness to  allow  perfect  freedom  of  opinion,  never  seeking  by  his 
manner  to  annoy  me  in  what  must  have  been  considered  by  him, 
pecuhar  habits,  nor  ever  alluding,  in  the  shghtest  manner,  to  sen- 
timents which  led  us  to  manners  so  different.  One  day,  he  exer- 
cised his  skill  with  his  rifle,  in  essaying  to  shoot  upon  the  wing 
some  sea-birds  that  had  been  hovering  upon  our  wake.  This,  I 
felt  to  be  a  double  wrong,  being  not  only  a  sacrilege  upon  the  ho- 
liness of  the  day,  but  an  inexcusable  barbarity,  thus  to  torture  the 
inoffensive  creatures  which,  like  winged-messengers  of  friendship 
and  gladness,  had  come  to  soothe  and  enliven  the  drear  loneliness 
of  our  way.  On  another,  he  spent  the  forenoon  in  testing  the 
trueness  of  his  aim,  at  pistol-firing,  at  a  target,  the  distance  of  the 
brig's  length ;  and  I  must  confess  that,  so  often  did  he  pierce  the 
centre  of  the  paper  aimed  at,  that  I  sliould  have  felt  a  little  reluc- 
tant to  be  his  antagonist  in  an  alfair  of  lionor,  if  I  had  possessed 
the  slightest  repugnance  to  receiving  an  inconvenient  piece  of 
lead  among  the  delicate  machinery  of  the  pliysical  man. 

One  Sunday,  the  captain  announced  that  the  day  would  be 
noted  by  tlie  death  of  one  of  our  quadrupeds,  and  facetiously  ob- 


50  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

served  to  me  that  the  mate,  who  was  a  true  hero  in  such  matters, 
would  be  the  executioner.  The  slightest  incident  in  a  sea-voyage, 
becomes  a  matter  of  real  interest  and  importance,  in  arousing  ex- 
citement. All  were  soon  upon  the  scene  of  action.  Presently 
the  mate,  duly  armed  with  a  most  fatal  lookmg  knife,  gleaming  in 
the  wintry  air,  made  his  appearance.  The  ill-fated  quadruped,  as 
if  inspired  with  a  prescience  of  approaching  doom,  precipitately 
fled,  and  remained  ensconced  under  a  part  of  the  long-boat,  —  and 
there,  with  a  sullen  but  plaintive  grunt,  seemed  to  beg  us  to  desist 
from  our  cruel  and  unnatural  designs  upon  his  life.  He  resisted  suc- 
cessfully for  some  time  the  adroitness  of  the  several  persons  who, 
by  turns,  sought  to  dislodge  him  from  his  retreat ;  but  finally  Jack, 
more  successful,  secured  him  by  the  hind  legs,  and  drew  him  forth, 
—  the  little  fellow  kicking,  uttering  his  piercing  shrieks,  and  pul- 
ling back  with  true  piggish  pertmacity.  It  was  all  of  no  avail. 
He  was  laid  upon  his  back  on  a  table  ;  one  boy  held  fast  his  ex- 
tremities ;  and  the  mate  with  one  hand  held  fast  his  muzzle, —  the 
knife  gleamed,  the  blood  spirted  up,  then  flowed  gurglingly  into  a 
basin  held  by  one  of  the  boys,  he  quickly  stirring  it  all  the  time 
to  prevent  its  coagulatmg.  At  the  spectacle,  I  involuntarily 
turned  away,  ejaculating  an  anathema  at  the  barbarity  of  man,  and 
breathing  a  sigh  of  commiseration  at  the  fate  of  our  fellow-voy- 
ager. Poor  fellow  !  He  was  not  allowed  the  humble  privilege  of 
squealing  in  his  agonies.  After  contributing  much  to  amuse  us  by 
his  antics,  during  the  voyage,  he  had  fallen  a  victim  to  man's  cu- 
pidity and  heartlessness.  Thus  it  is  with  life ;  those  whom  we 
have  most  befriended,  are  often  the  first  to  aid  in  our  downfall  and 
ruin !  As  to  the  butchery,  it  was  done  with  a  dexterity  which 
showed,  that  in  matters  relating  to  the  cuisine,  certainly,  the 
French  can  challenge  competition  with  the  entire  world  beside. 
But  to  return.     The  bright  morning  of  the  next  day  (January 


AERIVAL  AT  HAVEE.  57 


1st),  revealed  to  our  eager  view  the  port  of  Havre.  Soon,  a 
small  boat  was  seen  approaching  us,  from  the  harbor,  and  i-owing 
alongside,  the  pilot  jumped  on  board  of  the  brig,  and  nodding  to 
me  as  he  passed  along,  greeted  cordially  the  captain ;  when,  de- 
scending to  the  cabin  together,  they  were  in  a  moment  engaged  in 
earnest  and  voluble  conversation.  The  basket  of  news  was  quite 
emptied,  Avhen  a  lively  discussion  of  its  contents  ensued  between 
them,  which  lasted  several  hours. 

Being  a  little  too  late  in  the  tide,  we  were  obliged  to  reconcile 
ourselves  to  a  delay,  the  more  irksome,  as  it  was  fete-day  in  the 
city.  I  was  however  offered  a  passage  ashore  in  the  boat,  but 
preferred  remaining  to  finish  my  letters  for  home. 

We  were  notified  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  flood,  by  the  de- 
parture of  the  Southampton  steamer,  when,  after  a  "  hasty  plate 
of  soup,"  we  squared  away  for  the  entrance  of  the  port.  In  a  few 
minutes  we  were  sweeping  gaily  along,  between  the  massive 
granite  piers,  that  stretch  far  out  into  the  harbor,  forming  a  wide 
and  deep  canal,  heading  into  the  inner  basin.  The  western  pier  was 
covered  with  people,  attracted  thither  by  the  pleasures  of  an 
evening's  promenade.  They  gazed  on  us  with  lively  interest,  as 
•we  sped  past  them ;  while  on  my  part,  being  thus  suddenly  ushered 
into  the  presence  of  so  many  human  beings,  and  the  novelty  of 
their  mien  and  costume,  filled  me  with  pleasurable  curiosity.  The 
gates  of  the  noble  canal  were  soon  opened,  and  we  passed  quickly 
into  the  wall-locked  harbor,  making  fast  in  a  magnificent  basin  in 
the  very  heart  of  the  city. 

Declining  an  invitation  from  the  captain  to  visit  some  acquaint- 
ances of  his,  in  to^vn,  I  ex[)orienced  more  pleasure  in  promenading 
the  deck  alone,  yielding  to  reflections  usliered  in  by  the  transitions 
of  the  scenes  of  a  day.  Later,  however,  I  stepped  asliore,  and 
cautiously  threading  my  way  through  parts  imperfectly  known  to 


58  CRESTS  FEOM  THE  OCEAN-WOELD. 


me,  soon  found  myself  bending  over  a  Parisian  journal  in  one  of 
the  principal  Coffee-houses  of  the  city.  It  being  New-year's  day, 
the  city  was  better  lighted  than  commonly,  and  the  promenades 
and  cafe's  were  unusually  thronged.  As  I  passed  along,  the  ani- 
mating movement  of  the  crowd,  the  silvery  tones  of  the  females, 
the  wild  and  merry  laugh  of  the  children,  kindled  witliin  me  emo- 
tions which  were  greatly  heightened  by  the  change  from  the 
monotony  of  a  sea-passage,  to  the  full  and  social  amenities  of  a 
city. 

I  was  not  permitted,  the  next  morning,  to  remove  my  luggage 
from  the  brig,  although  the  captain  exerted  his  influence  for  me,  as 
it  would  have  involved  some  informalities  in  the  custom-house 
regulations.  These  government  restrictions,  so  different  to  an 
American,  from  what  he  ever  meets  w4th  at  home,  and  so  con- 
trary to  his  idea  of  civil  freedom,  are  annoying  enough  to  him. 
But  the  better  policy,  as  well  as  the  better  morality,  is  to  submit 
to  them  with  the  utmost  frankness  and  good  liumor.  Much  un- 
pleasant feeling,  if  not  petty  trouble,  is  thus  prevented. 

The  captain  took  me  early  to  the  office  of  his  consignee,  who 
gave  me  the  address  of  Mr.  Stanton,  then  our  consul  at  Havre. 
The  latter  gentleman  received  me  with  all  due  kindness,  and  had 
the  goodness  to  loan  me  late  journals  from  the  United  States.  He 
made  me  a  certificate  of  American  citizenship,  to  enable  me  to  pro- 
cure from  the  French  authorities  a  passj^ort,  —  I  having  inadvert- 
ently neglected  to  pi'ocure  one  in  New  York,  before  taking  leave. 
On  learning  that  one  principal  object  of  my  visiting  Europe,  was 
to  inspect  the  schools  and  educational  establishments,  he  had  the 
politeness  to  give  me  a  note  of  introduction  to  the  Principal  of  the 
most  distinguished  private  school  in  the  city,  of  which  his  sou 
was  pupil.  At  the  same  time  he  observed,  that  the  schools  in 
Havre  were  inferior  to  the  best  in  the  United  States. 


FRENCH  MODE  OF  LIVING.  59 


On  leaving  the  house  of  the  American  consul,  I  met  the  cap- 
tain, who  kindly  offered  his  services  to  aid  me  in  finding  comforta- 
ble rooms.  We  entered  a  house  of  respectable  appearance,  the 
landlady  of  which  was  an  intimate  acquaintance  of  my  companion. 
She  took  us  hastily  through  her  unoccupied  rooms,  briefly  expa- 
tiating upon  their  several  peculiar  excellences,  —  but  the  remain- 
der of  the  time  she  was  engrossed  in  the  most  lively  conversation 
with  the  captain.  As  she  was  naming  the  price  of  meals,  he  ven- 
tured to  observe  that  her  charge  was  too  much.  Ah,  mon  ZHeu, 
non,  llonsieiir  (she  replied,  with  inimitable  French  exclamation), 
"  the  Englishman  eats  so  much  beef-steak  for  dinnei\"  "  But,"  re- 
plied the  captain,  "  you  are  not  so  duU  as  to  take  my  friend  for  an 
Englishman.  He  is,  you  must  know,  on  the  contrary,  a  true-blooded 
American,  —  a  Yankee  from  the  United  States  of  America."  jE/i, 
bien,  retorted  the  woman,  "it  is  all  the  same.  Englishman  or 
American,  they  both  like  much  meat  for  dinner,  and  that  is  very 
expensive."  We  left,  —  I  promising  to  return  within  a  mentioned 
time,  if  I  decided  to  take  rooms  at  her  house. 

The  agreeableness  of  one's  stay  in  a  foreign  city,  as  well  as  his 
personal  comfort  in  the  time,  will  greatly  depend  upon  the  eligible- 
ness of  his  quarters,  and  the  particular  amenities  of  his  hotel.  As 
I  could  not  remove  my  luggage  from  the  brig  till  evening,  I  felt 
that  the  interim  might  not  be  spent  in  a  more  pleasing  and  instruc- 
tive way  to  me,  llian  in  choosing  my  quarters  in  the  city,  with  the 
utmost  deliberation,  —  examining  things  leisurely,  with  the  double 
view  of  making  a  favorable  selection  in  a  room,  and  of  casting  a 
scrutinizing  glance  into  this  department  of  French  life  ;  and  my 
researches  were  crowned  with  curious  interest.  It  will  be  well 
here  to  state,  that  the  French  mode  of  living,  in  cities,  as  practised 
by  a  large  part  of  the  inhabitants,  differs  widely  from  that  with 
us,  and  forms  a  marked  feature  in  French  life.  Instead  of  throng- 


60  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


ing  in  boarding-houses,  and  eating  in  great  haste,  at  a  specified 
hour,  it  is  a  common  practice  to  hire  a  furnished  room,  with  the 
services  of  a  domestic  to  keep  it  in  order,  and  to  brush  your 
clothes  and  pohsh  your  boots,  at  a  moderate  price,  and  to  take 
your  meals  at  the  restaurants,  cafes,  or  even  to  have  them 
brought  to  your  room  in  quantity  and  of  a  quality  to  suit  your 
palate  or  pecuniary  disposition.  Not  only  does  the  bachelor  of 
small  means  and  retired  habits,  live  in  this  way ;  but  it  is  followed 
even  by  professional  men,  by  respectable  merchants,  often  by  weal- 
thy citizens,  and  not  unfrequently  by  ladies  of  character  and  repu- 
tation. This  peculiar  way  of  living,  compared  with  our  mode, 
practised  by  the  same  class  of  society,  has  a  forbidding  feature,  it 
is  true ;  but  it  also  has  its  charms.  If  it  lacks  the  glow  and  en- 
dearment of  the  fireside  circle,  it  can  claim  the  complacent  grati- 
fication of  luxurious  ease  and  perfect  independence.  To  the 
traveller,  it  is  certainly  most  convenient  and  agreeable.  He  can 
thus  rise  and  retire  when  he  pleases,  take  his  meals  when  his  ap- 
petite prompts,  and  where  he  chances  at  the  time  to  be,  —  with 
the  privilege  of  selecting  his  dishes,  and  paying  for  such  only  as 
he  orders. 

After  leaving  the  brilliant  Rue  de  Paris,  which  extends  to  the 
north,  quite  through  the  city,  I  soon  perceived  the  object  of  which 
I  was  in  quest.  Furnished  rooms  were  seen  advertised  all  around. 
A  louer  (to  let );  chambres  a  louer  (rooms  to  let)  ;  tme  petite  cham- 
bre  garnie  a  louer  (a  small  furnished  room  to  let),  were  so  fre- 
quent as  to  remind  you  of  the  sign-boards  of  the  most  business- 
thronged  part  of  the  city.  The  rooms  were  of  every  variety  of 
size  and  furnish,  adapted  to  the  varying  wants  of  different  appli- 
cants. I  examined  each,  as  I  passed  along,  making  the  most 
minute  inquiries,  and  asking  all  pertinent  questions  that  I  could 
possibly  think  of.     The  apartments  bore  a  faithful,  but  often  an 


FRENCH  LODGINGS.  61 


humble  imitation  of  furnished  lodgings  in  Paris,  to  which,  in  mat- 
ters of  taste,  not  only  the  provincial  towns,  but  even  the  seaports, 
still  look  up  Avith  obsequious  deference.  The  two  prevailing  pe- 
culiarities in  the  rooms  here,  as  elsewhere  in  France,  were  ample- 
ness  of  space,  and  the  number  and  variety  of  useful  and  ornamen- 
tal articles  with  which  they  were  fastidiously  furnished.  The 
size  of  the  rooms  varied  of  course  with  the  price  of  rent ;  but 
even  the  cheapest  possessed  a  degree  of  spaciousness  that  plainly 
told  that,  in  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  laws  of  hygiene,  the 
French  are,  in  this  respect,  greatly  our  superiors.  They  were  not 
only  furnished,  as  often  with  us,  with  an  empty  secretary,  a  clothes- 
press,  ample  means  for  ablution,  etc.,  but  with  many  other  articles 
either  of  convenience  or  mere  ornament,  such  as  a  mantel-clock, 
sofa,  shower-bath,  writing-desk  and  apparatus,  library-case,  and 
mere  adornments  of  mantel-vases,  pieces  of  statuary,  pictures,  and 
the  more  trivial  and  purely  ornamental  articles.  The  floors,  either 
paved  with  wide,  smooth  bricks,  or  blocks  of  hard  wood,  set  in  mo- 
saic, and  of  highly  polished  surface,  were  rarely  covered  with 
carpeting,  or  more  than  a  mere  hearth-rug  or  two.  The  beds 
themselves  were  luxuries.  They  usually  stood  in  a  recess  of  the 
room,  being  of  the  easy  and  voluptuous  form  of  a  couch,  and  hav- 
ing curtains  not  unfrequently  of  damask  or  silk,  gracefully  cano- 
pied over  them.  The  mattress,  which  in  F'rance  is  always  of 
wool,  is  neater,  and,  speaking  from  experience,  infinitely  more  com- 
fortable than  either  feathers  or  hair.  The  bed-linen  is  never  of 
cotton  material,  and  the  covering  of  the  pillow  is  sometimes  silk. 
A  French  bed-chamber  thus  possesses  an  air  of  grace,  luxury,  and 
even  oriental  splendor,  that  is  quite  captivating  to  the  senses.  But 
it  must  be  acknowledged,  that  a  severely  simple  taste  is  sometimes 
shocked  at  the  incongruous  medley  in  the  articles  of  furniture, 
and  the  profusion  of  trinkets  used  as  ornaments.     There  is  somc- 

6 


62  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


times  a  most  ludicrous  contrast  between  the  rich,  second-hand  fur- 
niture, magnificent  mirrors,  and  the  coarse  and  homely  appearance 
of  the  walls  and  wainscoting,  that  reminds  you  of  pride  in  rags. 
The  way  to  these  miniature  elysiums,  too,  is  often  through  a  wet 
and  squalid  court,  up,  for  several  stories,  a  crooked,  narrow,  dismal, 
rough-stone  stairway,  so  dark,  as  often  to  require  the  presence  of 
a  light  to  thread  your  way  along  it,  even  in  the  day  time.  Unless 
you  select  one  of  the  very  few,  comparatively  speaking,  of  the 
rooms  that  look  out  upon  the  street,  —  as  you  glance  through  your 
window,  your  eye  meets  smoky,  tiled  roofs,  roughly  cut,  and  un- 
graceful angles  of  buildings,  or  recesses  and  narrow  alleys,  un- 
seemly with  accumulated  filth ;  while,  if  you  move  from  the  im- 
mediate splendor  that  surrounds  you,  your  spirits  are  chilled  with 
the  damp,  lugubrious,  and  prison-dreariness  that  pervades  all 
around.  Thus  situated,  you  are  quite  alone,  although  there  may 
be  scores  of  human  beings  half-imprisoned  in  the  same  house,  se- 
parated only  by  walls.  You  will  see  none  of  the  inmates  of  the 
same  general  dwelling,  except  you  accidentally  meet  in  passing  to 
and  from  your  apartment,  some  one  of  the  indwellers  who  have 
to  pass  through  the  same  general  inlet.  If  a  getleman,  he  politely 
makes  a  passing  recognition  ;  or  if,  perchance,  the  garrulous  maid, 
with  tidy  cap  and  coarse  petticoat,  or  the  good-natured  male  do- 
mestic in  blouse,  both  clubbing  in  wooden  shoes  over  the  stone 
steps,  cracking  their  jokes  in  merry  simplicity,  they  will  step  aside 
with  deference  to  let  you  pass,  or  with  alacrity  comply  with  your 
demands. 

I  finally  secured  a  pleasant  room,  at  a  reasonable  price,  of  a 
very  agreeable  woman;  and  it  may  be  observed,  by  the  way,  that 
females  transact  all  such  business  in  France.  Her  only  child,  a 
simple-hearted  girl,  of  perhaps  fifteen  or  sixteen  years  of  age,  had 
lately  been  married  to  a  young  man,  a  little  her  senior  in  age,  and 


VISIT  TO  A  SCHOOL.  63 


greatly  her  superior  in  intelligence  and  style  of  manners.  He 
gave  me  with  apparent  pleasure  such  information  as  I  desired,  and 
from  him  I  learned  that  although  he  honored  the  family  with  his 
company  at  breakfast,  in  their  narrow  tea-parlor,  yet  he  invaria- 
bly took  his  dinners  at  a  restaurant,  either  alone  or  with  some 
friends.  He  followed  no  particular  business,  but  managed  to  pass 
as  a  kind  of  second-rate  gentleman.  The  good  woman,  his  bride's 
mother,  seemed  proud  of  her  son-in-law,  and  perfectly  doated  on 
her  daughter.  She  lived  in  the  most  frugal  manner  imaginable, — 
thus  husbandhig  her  earnings,  which  were  destined,  doubtless,  to 
maintain  the  newly-acquired  dignity  of  her  fond  and  loving  daugh- 
ter. The  ancient  idea  of  marriage  in  France,  by  which  wedlock 
was  entered  upon  out  of  motives  of  ambition,  or  of  personal  ag- 
grandizement, or  as  a  mere  arrangement  of  convenience,  is  not 
yet  quite  freed  from  society. 

Having  become  fairly  domiciled,  I  took  an  early  opi)ortunity, 

as  might  be  supposed,  to  visit  the  school  of  Monsieur  P ,  to 

whom  I  liad  a  letter  of  introduction  from  Mr.  Stanton.  Accord- 
ingly, the  next  day,  at  an  eai-ly  hour  in  the  forenoon,  I  reached 
the  school-building,  but  by  some  mistake,  strayed  into  the  cusine 
of  the  establishment,  instead  of  the  drawing-room  of  the  princi- 
pal. My  unexpected  appearance  among  some  dozen  female  cooks 
and  laundress-women  (for  it  was  a  boarding  establishment),  pro- 
duced some  confusion  as  well  as  mcn-iment.  On  learning  my 
errand,  however,  one  of  them,  clad  in  a  cap  of  snowy-whiteness, 
coarse  but  tidy  petticoat,  and  wooden  shoes,  bid  me  follow  her ; 
and,  leading  the  way  out  of  the  spacious,  plain,  but  exceedingly 
neat  kitchen,  uj)  a  broad  and  clean  stairway,  ushered  me  info  the 
reception-room  of  the  establishment.  The  bell  rang,  and  ])resently 
the  door  opened  a  little  way,  and  a  ])ortly  face,  beaming  with  ex- 
pression, and  redolent  with  health,  clad  in  a  small  velvet  cap. 


64  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAX-WOELD. 


peeped  into  the  room,  and  excused  himself  till  four  o'clock,  saying 
that  he  was  then  engaged  with  some  classes.  It  was  precisely 
what  I  wished  to  see,  —  the  princijial  teacher  instructing  his  classes, 
— but  before  I  could  find  time  to  reply,  he  had  disappeared.  As 
the  day  was  bright,  (something  quite  rare  at  this  season  in  Havre,) 
I  decided  to  make  a  visit  to  the  Cote  d'  Ingouville,  which  is  a 
suburb  directly  north  of  the  city.  It  is  situated  on  the  steep  de- 
clivity of  a  ridge  which  overlooks  the  town,  and  is  adorned  with 
beautiful  mansions,  embowered  in  shrubbery  and  surrounded  with 
gardens,  which  rise  in  terraces  one  above  the  other.  At  the  gate 
of  Ingouville,  you  have  a  partial  view  of  the  fortifications  of  the 
city.  They  were  begun  by  Louis  XII,  continued  by  many  suc- 
ceeding sovereigns,  but  only  completed  by  Napoleon.  They  are 
about  three  and  a  half  miles  in  circuit,  and  consist  of  bastioned 
ramparts  surrounded  by  trenches. 

The  prospect  from  the  heights  of  Ingouville,  if  it  be  a  clear 
day,  well  repays  the  somewhat  toilsome  ascent,  by  the  parallel 
streets  of  the  village,  which  run  horizontally  along  the  side  of  the 
declivity,  and  communicate  by  nari'ow  cross-streets.  From  the 
elevation  upon  which  you  stand,  there  stretches  far  away  to  the 
north  and  east,  quite  beyond  sight,  an  uninterrupted  verdant, 
grassy  plain,  in  appearance,  not  altogether  unlike  some  humble 
prairie  of  the  West,  in  the  early  mantling  of  spring.  As  you 
turn  towards  the  west  and  south,  your  eye  falls  upon  the  broad 
estuary  of  the  Seine,  embraced  in  arms  of  bold  shores,  moving 
its  breast  towards  the  stormy  North  Sea.  Below  you  is  the 
life-throbbing  city,  with  its  grand  basins,  forests  of  masts,  glitter- 
ing spires,  and  dingy  edifices,  surrounded  by  bastioned  walls.  A 
little  farther,  just  across  the  sti-eam,  peers  the  little  village  of 
Honfleur,  nestled  in  harmonious  surroundings,  while  far  away  to 
the  south-east,  sweeps  in  graceful  curves  the  noble  Seine,  with 


ENGLISH  LANGUAGE  IN  HAVRE.  65 


perhaps  a  steamer  swiftly  gliding  upon  its  gentle  bosom.  The 
view  is  no  less  extensive  than  picturesque  and  lovely. 

In  descending,  I  overtook  an  aged  gentleman  whom  I  had  the 
good  fortime  to  enlist  at  once  in  conversation.  A  little  way  on 
was  his  daughter,  accompanied  by  a  merry  group  of  children,  to 
whom  she  was  the  admired  governess.  They  were  improvmg 
the  lovely  afternoon  in  a  stroll,  and  right  heartily  did  they  appear 
to  enjoy  the  healthful  pleasure.  They  bounded  along  in  a  wild 
excitement  of  joy,  innocently  vieing  with  each  other  in  their  at- 
tempts to  heighten  the  enjoyment  of  their  devoted  teacher.  The 
father,  in  his  wandering  loquacity,  touched  upon  the  many  excel- 
lent qualities  of  his  beloved  daughter  with  all  a  parent's  partiaUty, 
and  recommended  her  superiority  as  a  teacher,  in  a  manner  only 
pardonable  in  age.  They  were  French  childi-en,  and  she  was 
their  instructor  in  English.  According  to  my  informant,  they  had 
enjoyed  scarcely  no  other  advantages  of  learning  to  ppeak  Enghsh, 
except  in  their  intercourse  with  their  teacher  and  with  each  other; 
and  yet  in  the  very  short  space  of  time  which  she  had  been 
their  governess,  they  had  learned  to  speak  astonishingly  well. 
To  convince  me  of  the  truth  of  his  assertions,  he  called  to  him 
a  Httle  boy  of  the  number,  who  replied  to  my  questions  with 
such  natural  expressions,  and  with  a  pronunciation  and  accent  so 
accurate  as  quite  to  surprise  me,  although  I  was  fully  aware  that 
very  young  children  will  readily  learn  to  speak  with  idiomatic 
ease  as  many  languages  as  they  are  accustomed  to  hear  spoken 
around  them. 

You  hear  English  very  commonly  spoken  in  Havre.  The  large 
number  of  Americans  and  English  always  in  the  city,  and  the  im- 
mense trade  carried  on  with  those  people,  make  some  practical 
knowledge  of  the  language  indispensable  to  the  mercantile  ])ortion 
of  the  French  residents,  and  fo  such  others  as  have  business  with 

C* 


66  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


those  who  speak  the  English.  But,  besides  this,  the  Enghsh 
language  is  cultivated  by  all  classes,  as  a  useful  and  fashionable 
accomijlishment.  The  remark  is  applicable,  with  slight  modifica- 
tion, to  other  cities  and  large  towns  in  France. 

These  children  whom  I  met,  illustrate  the  mode  pursued  gene- 
rally in  France,  by  the  wealthier  classes,  to  give  their  children  a 
thorough  and  efficient  knowledge  of  a  foreign  tongue ;  and  it  is 
based  on  correct  principles  of  action.  Instead  of  leaving  their 
children  to  grow  to  an  age  when  their  minds  are  capable  of 
more  severe  studies,  and  then  giving  them  a  dictionary  and 
grammar,  to  learn  practical  language,  they  adopt  a  plan  sim- 
pler, and  more  in  accordance  with  nature's  teaching,  —  that  of 
placing  their  youth  at  an  early  age  in  a  situation  to  hear  the  lan- 
guage spoken,  which  they  then  acquire  with  the  utmost  ease,  and 
almost  intuitively ;  and  at  an  advanced  age,  they  are  set  upon  the 
grammar  and  philosophy  of  the  language,  and  attracted  to  explore 
the  riches  of  its  literature.  In  this  way,  the  student  gets  such  an 
apprehension  of  the  language  he  is  studying,  as  to  be  of  positive 
utility  to  him  in  the  practical  pursuits  of  life ;  —  and  further,  of 
immense  advantage  in  the  harmonious  development  of  his  j^owers, 
—  and  so  intimate  and  thorough,  as  to  be  a  real  source  of  re- 
fined pleasure.  By  the  other  way,  he  rarely  gains  more  than  a 
smattering ;  his  knowledge  being  so  cumbersome,  as  to  prove  of 
little  use  or  advantage,  ever  subjecting  its  possessor  to  vexation 
and  chagrin. 

The  period  of  childhood  and  early  youth,  too,  is  altogether  the 
most  favorable  for  acquiring  a  certain  part  of  a  language,  which 
can  never  be  learned  half  so  well  at  a  more  advanced  age,  if,  in- 
deed, it  can  then  be  learned  at  all.  It  is  at  this  period  that  the 
ear  is  peculiarly  delicate  in  discriminating  sounds,  and  the  vocal 
organs  flexible  to  execute  their  form.     At  this  time  in  life,  the 


BEST  MODE  OF  TEACHING  CHILDREN.  67 


faculty  of  imitation  is  in  active  play,  and  the  memory  is  quick  and 
seizable.  Pronunciation  of  words,  accent,  idiom,  wliich  most 
stubbornly  resist  all  laws  of  analogy  in  language,  are  mastered  so 
easily  and  rapidly  by  the  child  in  habitual  intercourse  with  a  cor- 
rect model,  that  he  is  almost  unconscious  of  his  acquisition.  It 
has  been  more  a  sportive  exercise,  than  a  task.  Now,  it  is  just  this 
part  of  a  language  which  the  adult  finds  it  most  difficult  to  learn  ; 
which,  in  fact,  he  never  does  leara,  except  in  rare  instances,  with 
any  high  degree  of  success.  And  what  is  more,  all  this  is  done 
by  the  young  pupil,  when  he  could  not  be  accomplishing  much 
else  in  learning,  —  thus  converting  comparatively  valueless  time 
into  golden  moments,  laden  with  the  rich  treasure  of  future  years. 

The  practice  abroad,  of  employing,  at  great  expense,  a  gov- 
erness, as  teacher  of  young  children,  might  with  us  be  very  pleas- 
antly improved  upon,  at  least  in  this  branch  of  education.  In  the 
respectably-educated  families  of  New  England,  certainly,  the  time 
of  the  mother  is  not,  in  general,  so  completely  engrossed  with  the 
forms  of  empty  etiquette,  as  to  leave  absolutely  no  time  for  fa- 
miliar intercourse  with  her  young  children.  Let  but  such  a  mo- 
ther possess  the  power  of  speaking  fluently,  and  with  correctness, 
one  or  more  of  the  prevailing  languages  of  Europe,  which  she 
might  as  easily  have  learned  from  her  own  parent,  and  her  tender 
offspring,  only  from  hearing  it  used  in  daily  intercourse,  will  glide 
into  its  acquisition  as  naturally,  and  with  as  much  ease,  as  it  learns 
its  own  tongue,  or  reflects  the  tone  and  manners  of  those  by 
whom  it  is  surrounded.  And  is  not  this  a  consummation  to  be 
desired  ?  How  much  of  the  learning  sagely  jjrescribcd  in  school 
requisitions,  is  not  really  much  less  practical  and  useful,  in  the 
average  lot  of  life,  than  a  sj)eaking  acquaintance  with  one  of  the 
most  extensively-used  languages  of  Europe. 

The  gigantic  improvements  in  the  facilities  of  travel,  wliich  are 


68  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN- WORLD. 


fast  bringing  the  nations  of  the  earth  in  actual  contact,  and  the 
spirit  of  the  age  kindling  a  desire  for  an  enlarged  intercourse  of 
man  with  man,  together  with  the  rapidly  increasing  and  intimate 
business  relations  of  the  mercantile  world,  seem  to  make  a  knowl- 
edge of  some  of  the  modern  languages  quite  indispensable  to  such 
as  venture  beyond  the  narrow  circle  of  village  life ;  and  this  need 
is  every  day  fast  increasing. 

My  new  acquaintance,  to  whom  I  was  indebted  for  several  items 
of  information,  admitted  most  fully,  that  the  view  from  the  heights 
was  grand  and  lovely ;  but  it  was  not  quite  equal  to  that  from  the 
Downs  in  England.  This  I  considered  an  altogether  natural  re- 
servation for  an  Englishman  to  make,  who,  whatever  beauty  he  is 
forced  to  admit  in  a  superior  object  abroad,  always  thinks  of 
something  in  '•  Old  England,"  which  a  little  surpasses  it.  Many 
of  the  mansions,  he  said,  were  the  residences  of  wealthy  English 
famiUes,  attracted  thither  by  the  eligibility  of  the  location,  or, 
perhaps,  from  motives  of  economy,  —  but  that  there  was  little 
social  intercourse  between  them  and  the  French,  even  when 
cii'cumstances  favored  such  intercourse.  It  seemed  that  the  in- 
veterate hatred  which  has  from  time  immemorial  existed  between 
the  two  countries,  had  sent  its  roots  so  deep  into  the  soil  of  the 
national  mind,  as  never  to  be  eradicated.  He  remarked,  that  the 
trade  at  Havre  was  enormous,  and  that  many  merchants  had  be- 
come ruined  the  past  winter,  by  excessive  speculation. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

RECEPTION    BY    MOXS.    P .  —  AMERICAX   NEWS    A  SMALL  SPACE 

IX    EUROPEAN   JOURNALS  —  NOTRE    DAME  —  MUSEUM  —  VIRGIN 
MARY  —  ORIGIN    OF     HAVRE  —  NEW    DOCK — AMEKICAN     SHIPS. 

Punctual  at  the  hour  appointed,  I  was  back  at  the  door  of 
Mons.  P's  schooh  A  waiter  at  once  showed  me  into  his  private 
librar}^,  where  he  was  standing  in  conversation  with  a  gentleman. 
Without  offering  me  a  seat,  he  drew  from  his  pocket  my  note  of 
introduction,  which  I  had  left  in  the  morning ;  and,  after  glancing 
at  its  contents,  and  observing  that  he  did  not  read  English,  begged 
that  I  would  inform  him  of  my  desire.  To  my  request  of  the  fa- 
vor of  seeing  his  school,  he  replied  with  an  embarrassed  air,  that 
as  the  entire  intercourse  was  in  the  French  language,  that  I  might 
not  well  understand  everything.  To  this,  I  ventured  to  say,  that 
I  should  doubtless  be  amply  compensated  for  any  loss  that  I  should 
have  to  forego,  on  account  of  an  imperfect  acquaintahce  with  his 
language ;  and  I  observed  further,  that  perhaps  the  eye  would 
prove  an  auxiliary.  Whereupon  he  frankly  stated,  that  he  had 
made  it  an  invariable  rule,  never  to  admit  strangers  to  witness  the 
recitations  of  his  school.  It  embarrassed  the  pupils,  and  inter- 
rupted the  exercises ;  and  then  commenced  a  series  of  bows,  so 
full  of  meaning,  that  I  found  myself  unconsciously  moving  toward 
the  door,  where  I  encountered  his  professor  in  English.  The  lat- 
ter gentleman  passed  out  with  me,  appearing  chagrined  at  my  re- 
ception.    As  a  partial  amends  for  my  disappointment,  he  evinced 


70  CRESTS  FEOJI  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


toward  me  the  kindest  manner  imaginable,  and,  on  parting,  gave 
me  liis  card,  and  begged  that  I  would  accept  of  his  services  while 
in  the  city. 

This  was  my  first  visit  to  any  European  school,  and  I  with  some 
reason  felt  it  to  be  anything  but  flattering  to  my  hopes  of  a  free 
and  minute  inspection  of  the  modes  of  instruction  pursued  abroad. 

As  to  Mons.  P ,  he  was  doubtless  governed  by  ideas  which 

we,  reared  among  free  institutions,  hardly  know.  Further,  his 
splendid  library,  genteel  dress,  and  aristocratic  air,  all  bespoke  a 
flourishing  condition  of  his  school ;  yet  I  could  not  quite  dispel  a 
lurking  suspicion  I  always  entertain  in  respect  to  the  entire  thor- 
oughness of  that  instruction  which  is  so  carefully  veiled  from 
public  examination.  There  may  be  cases,  where  the  school-room 
door  should  be  closed  to  all  visitors;  but  in  general,  I  Avould  have 
even  the  walls  of  the  room  of  the  transparency  of  glass,  that  the 
passing,  every  day  world  may  look  in  upon  the  miniature  empire 
within. 

President  Polk's  late  message  to  Congress  was  reviewed  by  the 
leading  Parisian  journals,  in  a  spirit  of  candor  quite  different  from 
the  tone  of  the  English  press,  and  especially  that  of  the  London 
Times'  school  of  pohtics.  American  news,  however,  occupies  but 
the  shortest  space  imaginable  in  the  European  columns. 

Havre  has  not  many  public  edifices  of  particular  interest. 
Among  those  deserving  of  mention  are  the  Tower,  of  Francis 
I ;  a  heavy,  round  edifice  of  free-stone,  built  by  that  monarch, 
nearly  seventy  feet  in  height,  and  eighty-five  in  diameter,  which 
guards  the  entrance  of  the  harbor  on  one  side,  and  a  small  battery, 
mounting  six  pieces  of  cannon,  on  the  other.  The  citadel,  con- 
structed by  Richelieu,  in  1564,  comprises  the  barracks,  military 
arsenal,  residence  of  the  governor,  etc.  Some  of  the  other  public 
buildings  are  the  marine  arsenal,  new  theatre,  commenced  in  1817, 


MUSEUM  AT  HAVRE.  71 


exchange,  custom-house,  entrepot  general,  and  Royal  tobacco- 
manufactory.  Among  the  churches,  the  principal  is  Notre  Dame, 
a  singular  edifice  of  the  sixteenth  century.  I  entered  this  church 
in  the  midst  of  a  funeral  ceremony.  The  coffin,  of  narrow  dimen- 
sions, and  of  i)lain,  unpainted  wood,  was  covered  with  a  pall  of 
richly  embroidered  black  cloth,  and  surrounded  by  a  number  of 
burning  wax  tapers,  perhaps  six  feet  in  length.  In  a  part  of  the 
nave,  near  the  altar,  were  the  choristers  and  musicians,  in  solemn 
and  funereal  dirge,  chanting  a  requiem  to  the  departed  spirit.  An 
ecclesiastic,  in  sacerdotal  robes,  conducted  the  impressive  exercise, 
accompanying  the  music  with  the  deep  and  pecuhar  tones  of  his 
voice ;  and  all  the  time  pacing  to  and  fro,  before  the  altar.  A 
number  of  religious  devotees,  or  friends  of  the  deceased,  were 
promiscuously  scattered  in  different  parts  of  the  nave  of  the 
church,  either  in  the  attitude  of  sitting  or  kneehng,  and  with  a 
manner  and  expression  of  the  deepest  religious  veneration.  Pre- 
sently, an  officer  with  the  insignia  of  office,  accompanied  by  a  num- 
ber of  boys,  perhaps  twelve  or  fifteen  years  of  age,  appropriately 
costumed,  escorted  some  half-dozen  ecclesiastics,  who  passed  before 
the  altar,  crossed  themselves,  and  then  retired.  The  entire  cere- 
mony was  by  no  means  wanting  in  religious  awe  and  impressive- 
ness,  though  of  course  destitute  of  the  simplicity  of  worship  which 
characterizes  our  protestant  forms. 

But  the  main  object  of  interest  in  Havre,  to  tlie  lover  of  art,  is 
the  Museujn,  which  stands  at  the  head  of  one  of  the  principal 
quays.  It  is  an  edifice  of  considerable  architectural  merit,  dedi- 
cated to  sculpture,  natural  history,  painting,  and  literature.  Tlie 
principal  hall  of  the  Rez-de-  Chaussee,  or  ground-floor,  is  filled  with 
statues  and  bass-reliefs.  Among  them  is  llie  Pedagogue,  and  A 
son  of  Niohe.  The  galleries,  extending  quite  around  the  hall,  are 
filled  with  a  respectable  collection  of  specimens  in  the  several  de- 


72  CEESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAX-WOKLD. 


partments  of  natural  history.  The  saloon,  or  principal  hall  of  the 
next  story,  is  embelhshed  with  paintings.  The  number  is  not  less 
than  four  hundred,  and  taken  together,  illustrate  the  ancient  and 
modern  condition  of  the  art,  as  well  as  the  several  schools. 
Among  them,  are  fine  specimens  from  the  immortal  pencil  of  Reu- 
bens, Vandyke,  Raphael,  Poussin,  Gerard  Dow,  Murillo,  Rem- 
brandt and  others,  familiar  to  fame.  This  important  collection 
had  been  recently  greatly  enriched  by  the  munificence  of  Mr. 
Stephens,  of  Paris,  who  had  given  a  marked  proof  of  his  benevo- 
lent disposition  toward  the  city  of  Havre,  by  placing  at  its  dispo- 
sal for  the  museum,  a  collection  of  choice  paintings.  A  further 
trait  of  noble  generosity,  which  will  be  appreciated  by  artists,  was 
his  granting  permission  to  this  class  to  make  studies  from  the 
sublime  creations.  It  is  a  characteristic  of  the  fine  arts,  that  while 
they  ennoble  the  mind  and  refine  the  heart,  they  also  awaken  the 
desire  to  share  with  others  the  exalted  pleasure  they  afford. 
•  I  made  notes  of  the  paintings  that  struck  me  most  favorably ; 
but  as  I  cannot  hope  that  the  reader  would  obtain  a  very  intelligible 
idea  of  them,  by  any  description  of  mine,  I  must  refrain  from  the 
attempt.  Let  me  not  omit  to  speak  briefly,  however,  of  two  or 
three  of  these  triumphs  of  human  genius.  On  entering  the  prin- 
cipal gallery,  the  eye  is  at  once  arrested  by  a  painting  of  unusual 
size,  by  a  modern  artist,  representing  Christ  driving  out  of  the 
Temple  the  Money  Changers  and  Merchandize  Venders.  The 
sketching  of  the  piece,  denotes  boldness  of  design  ;  and  the  atti- 
tude and  expression  of  the  actors  represented,  are  quite  natural. 
It  has,  moreover,  the  high  coloring  of  the  French  modern  school, 
united  with  admirable  finish  of  detail.  Chastity  is  represented  as 
a  female  of  exquisite  form,  and  a  countenance  of  angelic  expres- 
sion. She  is  gently  spurning  the  approaches  of  Furio,  at  the  same 
time  pointing  to  heaven  in  admonition  for  aid.    The  conception  of 


PUBLIC  LIBRARIES.  73 


the  painter  is  most  successfully  embodied  upon  the  canvas.  There 
is  another  painting  in  the  collection,  by  a  living  artist,  which  goes 
far  to  prove  to  my  uncultivated  eye,  that  modern  art  is  by  no 
means  waning.  It  is  a  representation  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  vnth. 
the  Infant  Christ  sleeping  in  her  arms.  As  you  stand  gazing  m 
mute  rapture  upon  the  lovely  forms  before  you,  you  unconsciously 
bend  forward,  almost  in  expectation  of  hearing  the  gentle  and  de- 
licious breathing  of  the  heavenly  child,  so  perfectly  life-like  is  it 
delineated ;  while  the  soft  and  tender  lustre  of  the  slightly  up- 
turned eye  of  the  mother,  so  fuU  of  Divine  hope  and  pious  resig- 
nation, but  lends  irresistible  effect  to  the  angeUc  expression  of  her 
face.  The  painting  possesses  points  of  excellence,  that  I  did  not 
find  surpassed  in  the  collection  ;  and  I  felt  almost  to  worship  the 
genius  that  could  transform  to  the  living  canvas,  conceptions  so 
beautiful  and  heaven-like. 

In  an  adjoining  room  is  a  collection  of  manuscripts,  and  also 
the  Madeline,  by  Gayrard,  in  marble.  In  another,  is  the  Library, 
which  has  twenty-two  thousand  volumes.  It  is  open  to  the  public 
nearly  every  day  in  the  week,  —  and  not  only  warmed,  lighted, 
furnished  with  table,  seats,  writing  materials,  but  there  is  always  in 
attendance  a  courteous  librarian,  who  promptly  provides  you  wth 
whatever  Ixwk  in  the  room  you  may  call  for,  and  seems  almost  to 
be  able  to  anticipate  your  desires.  This  is  entirely  free,  as  they 
are  elsewhere  in  France ;  and  illustrates  the  noble  care  of  the 
government  of  the  claims  of  literature  upon  the  community  at 
large.  Among  other  busts,  are  those  of  Voltaire  and  Rousseau,  in 
the  archivault  of  the  gallery.  The  French  mind  universally,  as 
well  as  that  of  the  entire  continent,  bows  with  lowly  reverence  to 
the  almost  omnipotent  sway  of  these  powerful  but  singular  de- 
parted spirits.  They  were  to  French  literature,  what  Napoleon 
was  to  its  military  glory  ;  and  neither  the  one  nor  the  other  can 

7 


74  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


be  spoken  of  before  a  Frencliman,  without. exciting  in  his  breast 
the  most  burning  enthusiasm. 

Tlie  origin  of  Havre  is  quite  obscui'e,  it  having  been  for  some 
time  an  unimportant  fishing-town.  The  present  site  was  succes- 
sively occupied  by  the  Gauls,  the  Celts,  and  the  Eomans  ;  but  the 
Northmen  were  the  first  people  to  whom  the  present  city  is  in- 
debted ;  and  Francis  the  First  has  the  honor  of  being  its  founder. 
One  of  these  bold  invaders,  RoUo  by  name,  the  Dane,  as  he  was 
called,  though  a  native  of  Norway,  and  chieftain  by  birth,  being 
of  a  wild  and  adventurous  disposition,  and  having  with  his  follow- 
ers committed  many  piracies  and  robberies,  were  at  length  expelled 
the  country  by  the  king.  They  took  refuge  on  some  of  the  isl- 
ands that  form  gloomy  and  mountainous  groups  on  the  western 
coast  of  Scotland,  which  have  been,  in  many  different  periods  of 
the  world,  the  refuge  of  fugitives  and  outlaws.  Thence  they 
made  several  fruitless  attempts  to  land  upon  the  English  shores, 
but  were  everywhere  repulsed.  This  was  in  the  time  of  Alfred 
the  Great.  They  afterwards  made  a  descent  upon  Flanders,  de- 
feated Hainault,  its  king,  and  compelled  the  countess  his  wife,  to 
raise  and  pay  an  immense  sum  for  his  ransom.  Coasting  upon 
the  north-western  shores  of  France,  after  many  attempts  to  land, 
which  proved  unsuccessful  from  the  nature  of  that  part  of  the 
French  coast,  they  at  length  effected  an  entrance  of  the  river 
Seine,  and  sailed  up  the  river  as  far  as  Rouen.  The  haven  at 
the  mouth  of  the  river  being  on  the  whole  the  best  and  most  com- 
modious on  the  coast,  was  called  the  harbor,  or  as  the  French  ex- 
pressed it  in  their  language,  le  Havre,  the  word  havre,  meaning 
harbor.  In  fact,  the  name  was  in  full  le  havre  de  grace,  as  if  the 
Northmen,  or  Normans,  considered  it  a  matter  of  especial  good 
luck  to  have  even  such  a  chance  of  a  harbor  as  this  at  the  mouth 
of  their  river. 


COMaiERCIAL  IMPORTAKCE  OF  HAVRE.  75 


Havre,  from  the  circumstances  of  its  situation,  is  necessarily  a 
great  commercial  emporium  of  France.  It  is  the  only  respectable 
harbor  on  this  part  of  the  French  coast.  The  river-mouths,  and 
natural  indentations  along  the  perpendicular  ranges  of  cliffs  that 
form  the  coast,  which  might  form  harbors,  are  so  exposed  to  the 
generally  prevailing  north-west  winds,  driving  such  a  continual 
swell  of  rolling  surges  in  upon  the  shore,  as  to  choke  up  all  the 
estuary  openuigs  with  shoals  and  bar^  of  sand  and  sliingle.  It  is 
the  seaport  of  Paris  ;  and,  in  regard  to  its  importance,  is  to 
France,  what  Liverpool  is  to  England.  Indeed,  it  was  a  remark 
of  i^apoleon,  that  "  Paris,  Kouen,  and  Havre,  form  only  a  single 
city,  of  which  the  Seine  is  the  great  street."  In  the  year  1836, 
Havre  received  seven-tenths  of  the  cotton  imported  into  France, 
more  than  half  of  the  tobacco  and  wood  ibr  cabinet-work,  half  the 
potash  and  indigo,  more  than  two-fifths  of  the  rice  and  dye-woods, 
and  more  than  one-third  part  of  the  sugar  and  coffee.  It  is  built 
on  a  low,  alluvial  tract  of  ground,  formerly  covered  by  the  sea,  and 
is  divided  into  two  unequal  parts,  by  its  outer  ports  and  basins, 
which  stretch  into  the  town,  and  insulate  the  quarter  of  St.  Francis. 
There  are  nine  quays,  which,  with  the  high  street,  form  the  favor- 
ite promenades.  It  has  numerous  public  fountains,  and  is  well 
supplied  with  water,  conveyed  by  pipes  from  the  vicinity.  The 
port  consists  of  three  basins,  separated  from  each  other,  and  from 
the  outer  port,  by  four  locks,  and  capable  of  accommodating  about 
lour  hundred  and  fifty  ships.  These  accommodations  being  inade- 
quate to  the  growing  importance  of  its  trade,  in  1839,  the  French 
government  demanded  six  millions  of  francs  for  its  augmentation 
and  improvement.  The  entrance  being  too  narrow  to  admit  the 
passage  of  large  steamers,  they  were  formerly  obligfd  to  remain 
in  the  outer  port,  imperfectly  sheltered  from  high  winds  ;  but  a 
new  basin  is  being  constructed  on  the  south-east,  near  the  entrance. 


76  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


It  is  to  be  spacious,  and  of"  splendid  construction.  I  was  told  that 
it  would  be  completed  in  three  years  longer,  —  it  having  already 
been  in  progress  two  years.  A  large  body  of  water  being  re- 
tained by  a  sluice,  and  discharged  at  ebb  tide,  clears  the  entrance 
of  the  harbor,  and  prevents  accumulation  of  filth.  The  rise  of 
the  tide  is  from  twenty-two  to  twenty-seven  feet ;  and  by  taking 
advantage  of  it,  the  largest  class  of  merchantmen  enter  the  port. 
The  water  in  the  harbor  does  not  begin  perceptibly  to  subside,  till 
about  three  hours  after  high  water,  —  a  peculiarity  ascribed  to  the 
current  down  the  Seine,  across  the  entrance  of  the  harbor,  being 
sufficiently  powerful  to  dam  up  for  a  while  the  water  in  the  latter. 
Large  fleets  taking  advantage  of  this  circumstance,  are  able  to 
leave  the  j^ort  in  a  single  day,  and  get  to  sea,  even  though  the 
wind  should  be  unfavorable.  The  pier  which  forms  the  western 
entrance  of  the  harbor,  is  about  fourteen  hundred  feet  in  length, 
to  the  Tower,  and  extends  into  the  ocean  about  three  hundred  and 
fifty  feet.  It  affords  a  most  delightful  and  romantic  promenade, 
and  is  much  frequented  as  such,  by  all  classes.  The  principal  part 
of  the  numerous  shipping  in  port,  were  large  American  ships,  which 
brought  hither  cotton,  and  were  to  take  emigrant  passengers  chiefly 
to  the  United  States,  in  return,  and  colliers  from  England.  The 
week  in  Havre  w^as  improved  most  agreeably  by  me,  —  my  curi- 
osity and  interest  not  flagging  for  a  moment,  although  I  had  before 
passed  a  winter  there,  and  was  in  consequence  quite  familiar  with 
its  general  physique. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

HONESTY  OF  THE  FRENCH  TO  TRAVELLERS  —  LEAVING  THE 
CITY — SCENERY  THROUGH  NORMANDY  —  PICTURESQUE  COS- 
TUME OF  THE  FARMERS — THE  SANG-FROID  OF  A  FRENCH 
WOMAN  —  HISTORICAL    RECOLLECTIONS  —  ARRIVAL    IN    ROUEN 

—  KINDNESS       OF       LANDLORD       AND      LADY MARKET-WOMEN 

UNDER    MY   WINDOW  —  GRANDEUR     OF     ROUEN     CATHEDRAL 

RICHNESS  OF  INTERIOR — ROLLO,  THE  NORMAN — CHURCH  OF 
ST.  OWEN — STATUE  OF  VOLTAIRE  —  PALAIS  DE  JUSTICE  — 
MAID  OF  ORLEANS  —  VIEW  FROM  THE  COTE  DE  ST.  CATHE- 
RINE—  AN  HISTORICAL  MENTAL  PICTURE  —  THE  ANCIENT 
PORT    OF    THE    CITY  —  SUPPER  —  VIEW    OF    THE    CITY. 

Ox  Friday,  the  7tli,  at  2  o'clock,  p.  jr.,  I  left  for  Rouen.  A 
slight  incident  occurred  in  the  omnibus  on  the  way  to  the  depot, 
which  illustrates  the  perfectly  honest  disposition  of  the  French 
people,  and  the  honorable  treatment  shown  to  strangers,  by  the 
agents  and  attendants  on  the  travelling  routes.  On  paying  my 
fare  to  Rouen,  at  the  office  in  Havre,  I  had  also  paid  it  to  the  de- 
pot, in  the  omnibus.  This  latter,  it  seemed,  was  not  generally 
done,  —  the  omnibus  line  being  in  the  hands  of  another  company. 
Before  reaching  the  depot,  the  attendant  came  round  and  took 
the  fare  from  the  passengers,  and  I  paid  with  the  rest.  In  a  mo- 
ment after,  I  bethought  myself  that  I  had  thus  paid  the  same  fare 
twice,  and  stated  the  fact  to  the  gentleman  sitting  near  me,  and  to 
tlie  attendant.     The  latter  at  first  looked  a  little  incredulous,  but 

7* 


78  GUESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


in  a  moment  promptly  refunded  me  the  price  of  fare,  while  all  ia 
the  carriage  looked  and  spoke  as  if  they  expected  he  would  do  so 
as  a  matter  of  course. 

The  train  of  cars  comprise  three  classes.  In  the  first,  or  su- 
perior, travel  the  aristocracy  and  the  wealthy  ;  the  second  class  of 
cars  is  filled  with  the  middling  and  respectable  sort  of  people ; 
while  the  third  is  thronged  with  the  peasantry  and  those  of  the 
poorest  condition  of  society.  The  first,  and  second  class  of  cars, 
which  differ  from  each  other  in  little  more  than  name  and  rate  of 
charge,  are  sepai'ate  carriages  of  neat  construction,  and  fitted  up 
interiorly  in  a  comfortable  manner.  The  distance  from  Havre  to 
Rouen  is  fifty-five  miles,  and  the  fare  in  the  different  grades  of 
cars,  respectively,  is  ten  francs,  seven  francs  and  fifty  centimes,  and 
five  francs.  A  slight  additional  charge  is  made  for  your  luggage ; 
and  the  company  hold  themselves  responsible  for  its  loss  witliin  a 
limited  value. 

The  utmost  precaution  is  taken  by  the  several  officers  of  the 
lines,  to  prevent  mistakes ;  and  the  arrangements  to  avoid  em- 
barrassments in  passing  to  seats,  in  the  carriages,  are  admirable. 
There  is  seen  but  little  of  the  confused  and  hurried  movement,  so 
often  witnessed  among  us,  in  scrambling  for  seats  in  the  cars,  when 
the  bell  rings,  although  we  are  wont  to  associate  with  the  French 
physical  man  a  tendency  to  impulsive  movement. 

As  we  sped  from  out  of  the  dense  and  gloomy  walls  of  the  city 
so  suddenly  into  the  smiling  suburbs,  —  gladdened  by  the  pleas- 
ing aspects  of  rural  life,  I  was  filled  with  rapturous  emotions. 
Doubtless,  the  dreary  mantle  of  Nature's  drapery  which  had  now 
for  several  weeks  enshrouded  my  mind,  being  thus  suddenly  re- 
moved, had  a  positive  influence  in  the  eifect  which  the  grateful 
scenery  produced  ;  but  there  was  something  so  unusual  in  winter- 
scenery  in  the  pervading  verdure,  enamelHng  the  gardens  and 


SCENERY  OF  FRANCE.  79 


pastures,  as  to  create  a  most  pleasing  surprise  ;  while  the  pic- 
turesque combination  of  narrow  walks  fenced  with  shrubbery, 
broad  and  majestic  avenues  lined  with  hoary  elms,  variegated 
plots  of  ground  fastidiously  arranged,  and  highly  cultivated,  and 
beautiful  villas  and  mansions  mellowed  by  time,  with  now  and 
then  a  church-spire,  moss-grown,  peeping  above  the  surrounding 
trees,  were  well  calculated  to  inspii-e  the  mind  with  delightful 
emotions.  I  must  say  that  the  associations  the  scenery  called  up 
were  mixed  with  the  romantic,  and  my  mind  naturally  reverted  to 
the  sylvan  scenes  so  often  the  staple  of  the  poet's  imagination. 

It  is  a  common  observation,  that  the  track  of  a  rail-road  does  not, 
in  general,  lay  through  the  most  interesting  part  of  a  country  ;  but 
the  remark  I  imagine  is  more  applicable  to  new  countries  like  our 
own,  than  to  those  like  France,  in  which  nearly  all  the  land  is  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Travellers,  too,  differ  in  their  admira- 
tion of  the  scenery  in  France,  some  extolling  its  beauties  in  broad 
terms,  while  others  see  in  any  part  of  the  country  little  to  be 
praised.  Speaking  for  myself,  from  the  few  glimpses  caught 
through  the  windows  of  my  carriage,  in  a  ride  from  Havre  to 
Paris,  and  tlirough  a  few  other  sections,  less  pleading,  I  must  ac- 
knowledge its  claims  most  decidedly  to  the  beautiful,  as  it  im- 
pressed my  own  mind.  To  be  sure  its  beauty  is  of  a  specific  kind, 
but  none  the  less  real,  for  all  that.  If  it  does  not  affect  the  mind  in 
precisely  the  same  manner  as  do  the  roughly  embosomed  lakes  of 
Scx)tland,  the  precipitous  and  wild  mountain-views,  which  flank 
portions  of  the  Rhine,  or  the  more  sublime  and  dizzy  peaks  of  the 
grandly  awful  ridges  of  Switzerland,  it  must  not,  on  that  account, 
be  considered  destitute  of  the  necessary  elements  agreeably  to 
move  and  elevate  the  mind  of  the  true  lover  of  Nature.  It  has 
its  phase  of  beauty,  which,  regarded  from  its  legitimate  point  of 
view,  possesses  high  capabilities.     Its  predominating  characteris- 


80  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


tic,  as  it  struck  my  mind,  is  that  of  placid  loveliness,  combined 
with  the  classic  symmetry  of  the  French  character,  heightened  by 
the  mellowing  hand  of  time. 

What  constitutes  a  peculiar  and  pleasing  feature  in  the  land- 
scape is,  that  the  land  is  not  enclosed.  With  the  exception  of  an 
occasional  graceful  lattice  partition  a  few  inches  high,  to  mark  the 
separation  of  the  lots,  there  were  neither  hedges,  fences,  nor  walls, 
to  break  the  continuity  of  the  scene, — but  vast  tracts  were  spread 
out  in  every  direction.  These  were  divided  into  plots  and  squares 
of  various  forms  and  sizes,  by  the  varieties  of  cultivation.  The 
whole  resembled  an  extensive  garden  but  lately  escaped  from  the 
shears  and  roller,  displaymg  a  vast  carpet  of  an  irregular  tessel- 
lated pattern,  variegated  by  numberless  hues  of  brown  and  green. 
Occasionally,  vast  forests  meet  the  eye,  filled  with  trees  of  venera- 
ble age,  and  mathematically  arranged.  They  were  the  royal 
demesnes,  and  hunting-grounds  and  parks  connected  with  the 
country  palaces  of  the  kings,  or,  perhaps,  the  chateaux  of  the 
ancient  nobility.  Rarely  is  a  habitation  seen,  except  an  occasional 
chateau,  —  the  farmers  residing  in  the  compact  villages,  whence 
they  issue  every  morning  to  go  miles,  perhaps,  to  their  daily  toil. 
The  roads,  which  cross  these  lonely  scenes,  smiling  with  the  ap- 
pearance of  fertility,  are  broad  and  straight  avenues,  bounded  by 
majestic  trees,  between  which,  may  be  seen  both  before  and  behind, 
an  interminable  vista. 

At  one  of  the  way-stations,  we  received  a  small  accession  to  our 
party.  It  was  two  neatly  dressed  and  agreeable  young  women, 
in  style  belonging  to  the  better  class  of  French  peasantry.  At 
once,  and  without  ceremony,  they  entered  into  lively  and  quite 
intelligent  conversation  with  any  one  in  the  can-iage  who  chose  to 
reciprocate  their  social  favors.  Yet  there  Avas  nothing  in  their 
manner  that  could  displease  in  the  slightest,  even  the  most  fastid- 


NORMANDY.  81 


ious  taste.  Although  evidently  belonging  to  the  humbler  class  in 
society,  yet  there  was  a  natural  grace,  and  even  delicacy,  in  their 
address  and  manners,  so  inimitable,  as  to  make  you  forget  what 
you  might  have  learned  simply  of  the  etiquette  of  politeness.  In 
a  few  moments  one  of  them  evinced  symptoms  of  illness,  where- 
upon the  other  requested  that  the  gentleman,  by  me,  would  have 
the  goodness  to  seat  himself  near  and  opposite  the  swooning  wo- 
man to  hold  in  his,  her  convulsed  hand.  The  fit  lasted  a  few 
minutes,  when,  coming  out  of  it,  she  engaged  in  promiscuous  con- 
versation, as  if  nothing  had  happened,  appearing  as  animated  as 
before,  abating  an  unpleasant  diilhiess  of  the  eye.  This,  I  thought, 
was  treating  the  ills  of  life  as  trifles,  indeed. 

The  historical  associations  which  crowd  upon  one  in  passing 
through  Normandy,  lend  a  thrilling  interest  to  its  scenery.  Every 
height  has  its  legend  and  story.  The  Romans,  to  whom  it  was 
known  before  the  time  of  Julius  Cesar,  and  by  whom  it  was  after- 
wards conquered,  have  left  here  the  traces  of  their  powerfid  do- 
main. In  the  fifth  century  it  became  the  prey  of  the  Germanic 
nations,  who,  pouring  fi'om  their  Scandinavian  hive,  like  a  relent- 
less torrent,  tracked  their  course  in  blood  through  the  fairest 
regions  of  Europe.  This  portion  was  especially  subjected  to  the 
rava<Tes  of  these  maritime  freebooters.  In  the  indolent  reign  of 
Charles  the  Bald,  who  vainly  relied  on  the  efficacy  of  gold,  rather 
than  on  that  of  the  sword,  to  oppose  their  progress,  erroneously 
believing  that  by  gratifying  avarice,  he  could  purchase  its  absti- 
nence, thes'fe  indomitable  semi-barbarians  penetrated  into  the  very 
heart  of  the  countiy.  At  length,  in  912,  tlie  Norwegian  Kollo,  or 
llaoul,  ascended  the  Seine,  and  obtained  from  Charles  the  Simple, 
cession  of  tln!  whole  of  maritime  Neustria  and  the  liaixl  of  Gisla, 
his  daughter,  in  marriage.  Kollo  subsequently  received  Christian 
baptism  in  the  cathedral  of  Ilouen,  and  became  the  first  duke  of 


82  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


Normandy.  It  was  annexed  to  England  when  William,  duke  of 
Normandy,  obtained  the  English  throne,  in  lOGG,  and  subsequently 
became  the  battle-ground  of  France  and  England.  It  is  not  sur- 
prising then,  that  the  traveller  goes  through  this  beautiful  part  of 
France  with  a  feeling  of  enthusiasm. 

At  length  the  cars  stopped ;  and  the  bustling  among  the  passen- 
gers told,  plainly,  that  we  had  reached  the  ancient  and  curious 
city.  The  passage  occupied  two  and  a  half  hours,  and  the  rate 
of  travel  averaged  twenty-two  miles  to  the  hour,  including  several 
way-stoppages.  As  it  was  evening  before  we  arrived,  I  missed  the 
unique  and  pleasing  views  which  break  upon  the  eye  of  the  trav- 
eller, as  he  enters  this  renowned  place.  On  leaving  the  cars,  I 
was  at  once  surrounded  by  porters,  soliciting  my  baggage  to  take 
to  any  hotel  I  might  name.  One,  a  lad,  followed  me  some  dis- 
tance, and  entreated  with  so  much  persistence  that  I  finally  yielded 
ray  valise,  more  as  a  reward  to  his  perseverance  than  from  any 
need  I  actually  felt  for  his  services.  After  threading  our  way 
some  distance  through  the  narrow,  crooked,  and  imperfectly  lighted 
streets,  we  entered  a  broad  square,  then  passed  through  a  gate- 
way in  a  high  stone  wall,  crossed  a  narrow  court,  which  brought 
us  to  the  hotel  da  Havre,  Place  du  Marche,  Neuf.  No.  21.  The 
landlord,  a  large  man  of  lofty  but  courteous  bearing,  received  us 
with  apparent  pleasure.  With  a  single  word,  uttered  in  an  under 
tone,  he  dismissed  the  porter,  which  I  endorsed,  by  handing  him 
ten  sous  for  his  service  to  me.  I  was  at  once  shown  the  different 
rooms  in  the  house,  not  occupied, —  the  landlady,  a  most  voluble 
and  amiable  soul,  and  so  insignificant  in  appearance  as  to  be  taken 
sooner  for  one  of  the  domestics  of  the  establishment  than  for  the 
lady  of  the  hotel,  leading  the  way  and  only  stopping  to  exhibit  the 
distinctive  claims  of  the  several  apartments,  which  she  did  with 
all  the  ingenuity  peculiar  to  a  French  woman.     Indeed,  in  each 


AGREEABLE  LANDLORD  AND  LADY.  83 


room  that  we  entered,  she  favored  me  with  a  brief  dissertation 
of  its  merits,  but  in  so  measured  terms  as  to  convej  the  idea  of  its 
being  a  recitation,  rather  than  an  original  essay.  I  engaged  an 
unpretending  room  at  thirty  sous  per  day,  without  fire  or  attend- 
ance. The  meal  I  had  ordered,  consisting  of  tea,  bread  and  but- 
ter, and  omelet,  w'as  now  ready.  It  proved  most  excellent  in 
quality  and  preparation,  and  I  despatched  it  with  a  zest  sharpened 
by  the  fatigues  of  the  day.  The  remainder  of  the  evening  was 
spent  by  me  most  agreeably,  in  the  society  of  the  gracious  land- 
lord, and  his  sweet-toned,  chatting  wife,  who,  with  the  greatest 
good-nature  and  kindness  imaginable,  opened  to  me  their  private 
boudoir,  and  gratified  my  eager  curiosity  in  recounting  startling 
events  preserved  in  tlie  legendaiy  annals  of  that  portion  of  the 
country.  He,  swelling  with  ancestral  pride,  related  many  a  daring 
deed  of  some  chivalrous  Norman  knight ;  while  she,  more  super- 
stitious, dwelt  upon  some  strange  and  blood-curdling  event,  wrested 
from  the  mysteries  of  the  dark  age  of  the  past.  They  also  gave 
me  a  verbal  sketch  of  the  noted  objects  and  places,  in  the  city  and 
its  environs,  worthy  of  a  special  visit,  —  thus  condescending  to  be- 
come for  me  a  very  agreeable  and  convenient  guide-book.  Their 
thrilling  and  captivating  narrations  so  haunted  my  imagination 
during  the  night,  that  I  turned  ever  and  anon  on  my  pillow,  await- 
ing, with  impatient  desire,  the  first  glimmering  of  the  dawn  that 
"was  to  reveal  to  view  so  many  venerable  relics  of  a  wild  and 
heroic  age.  Even  before  daylight,  my  ears  were  saluted  by  the 
clattering  of  wooden  shoes  over  the  rough  pavement  under  the 
window  of  my  room,  and  the  confused  commingling  of  garrulous 
and  shrill  tones  of  the  human  voice ;  and  the  first  view  that  my 
eye  embraced  was  the  square,  filled  with  market-women,  in  their 
picturesque  costumes,  each  at  her  stall  in  the  open  air,  supplying  the 
thronged  customers  with  the  essential  elements  of  the  day's  dinner. 


84  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

There  are  many  memorials  of  antiquity  in  Rouen,  all  of  deep 
interest  to  the  intelligent  traveller ;  but  among  them,  the  Cathe- 
dral stands  preeminent.  This  celebrated  edifice  is,  by  general  ad- 
mission, one  of  the  noblest  religious  structures  in  France,  or  even 
in  Europe.  Of  the  Avonderful  architecture  of  the  vast  pile,  I 
shall  hardly  attempt  a  description ;  for,  although  some  idea  may 
be  formed  of  its  magnificent  proportions,  by  a  verbal  account,  yet 
the  grandeur  and  awe  with  which  it  strikes  the  mmd  of  the  be- 
holder, can  never  be  conveyed  by  words. 

•  We  stand  before  the  immense  mass  !  The  mind  at  first  is  al- 
most overwhelmed  with  its  vastness,  its  grandeur,  its  inexplicable 
power.  The  breadth  is  one  hundred  and  three  feet,  while  its 
length  is  no  less  than  four  hundred  and  thirty-four  feet.  Its  elab- 
orate and  richly-ornamented  front,  has  three  fine  portals,  over  the 
central  of  which  is  a  square  tower,  and  a  beautiful  spire  of  iron- 
work, reaching  to  the  dizzy  height  of  four  hundred  and  sixty-four 
feet  eight  inches,  only  thirty-eight  feet  less  than  that  of  the  pyra- 
mid of  Cheops.  This  is  flanked  by  two  lofty  but  dissimilar  tow- 
ers. One  of  these  towers,  being  older  even  than  the  remainder 
of  the  building  itself,  is  in  a  simple  and  unadorned  style ;  but  the 
other,  built  at  tlie  end  of  the  fifteenth  century,  is  justly  admired 
for  the  beauty  of  its  architecture.  As  you  gaze  upon  the  compli- 
cated pile,  amid  the  mazes  of  its  inextricable  details,  your  eye  is 
lost  among  niches,  corners,  points,  and  pinnacles,  ornamented  with 
images  of  apostles,  saints,  or,  more  frequently  than  either,  of  the 
Virgin  and  Child.  These,  however,  are  no  unmeaning  ornaments, 
but  they  served  as  a  volume  of  religious  history,  conveying  to  the 
unlettered  masses,  real  facts  of  Scripture  history,  and  fixed  them 
in  the  minds  of  the  people  with  a  vividness  and  reality  that  could 
not  have  been  secured  so  well  in  any  other  way. 

"We  will  enter  the  gloomy  Gothic  structure.    Our  sensations  ad- 


CATHEDRAL  AT  ROUEN.  85 


mit  of  no  description.  It  is  not  the  religious  sentiment  which 
seizes  the  mind,  only  so  far  as  that  feeling  is  always  inspired  by 
the  works  of  genius ;  but  an  indefinite  and  almost  supernatural 
awe.  The  vast  space,  the  silence  that  reigns  within,  the  grandness 
of  the  architecture,  the  solemnity  of  the  monuments,  the  impres- 
sive power  of  the  pictures,  and  the  effect  of  all  these  objects  im- 
mensely heightened  by  the  light  which  comes  streaming  in  from 
one  hundred  and  thirty  windows,  the  glass  being  stained  with  every 
shade  of  color,  from  fiery  red  to  the  soft  tints  fading  into  whi^e, 
until  nave,  and  choir,  and  aisles,  seem  magically  illuminated; 
while  they  elevate  the  soul,  —  fill  it  with  vague  and  profound  im- 
pressions. Indeed,  you  leave  the  church,  for  the  first  time,  with 
an  oppressive  feeling.  The  idea  was  too  vast  and  complex  to  be 
received  into  the  mind  at  once.  We  reach  the  sublime  but  by 
degrees ;  and  it  is  only  after  a  number  of  visits,  and  indefatigable 
studies,  that  the  soul  is  expanded  to  anything  like  a  just  compre- 
hension of  the  vast  and  magnificent  proportions  of  the  wonderful 
edifice.  Its  contemplation  awakens  a  new  sphere  of  ideas.  Its 
immense  vaults  williin,  enlarge  the  thoughts  of  man,  —  while  the 
sublime  works  of  genius  around,  lend  to  it  a  spiritual  glow  and  fer- 
vency, —  and  the  summit,  losing  itself  in  the  air,  seems  to  bear 
the  bright  image  of  the  soul  direct  to  heaven. 

The  interior  is  truly  ricli  in  monuments,  although  many  of  these 
sombre  relics  have  been  much  mutilated  by  the  numerous  religious 
and  revolutionary  wars  which  have  from  time  to  time  distracted 
the  country.  You  see  there  the  tomb  of  Kichard  I.  (C'neur  de 
Lion),  many  dukes  of  Normandy,  and  seventeen  archbishops  of 
Rouen  ;  also,  the  fine  mausoleum  of  the  two  cardinals  d' Ambrose. 
There,  too,  lay  the  form  of  Kollo,  Wretclied  out  on  his  magnificent 
tomb;  and,  as  I  gazed  on  the  mouldering  um,  containing  the 
last  ashes  of  the  stem  chieftain,  I  could  not  but  recall  many  a 

8 


86  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


striking  incident  in  his  life,  indicative  of  his  indomitable  spirit.  It 
was  in  this  very  church,  if  I  remember  rightly,  that  was  per- 
foi*med  the  ceremony  of  the  nuptials  of  Rollo  with  Gisla,  the 
daughter  of  Charles  the  Simple.  Here,  too,  took  place  the  cere- 
mony of  his  profession  of  Christianity,  and  of  feudal  homage  to 
the  king.  In  regard  to  the  renunciation  of  his  own  faith,  in  favor 
of  that  of  the  Christian  rehgion,  history  informs  us,  that  little  dif- 
ficulty was  made  either  by  the  rude  Avarrior,  or  by  his  ignorant 
followers  ;  for  the  dark  mythology  of  Scandinavia  does  not,  on 
any  occasion,  appear  to  have  entwined  itself  v/ith  much  strength 
around  the  affections  of  its  votaries ;  but  when,  upon  formal  inves- 
titure with  the  duchy,  he  was  instructed  by  the  attendant  prelates 
to  kiss  the  feet  of  his  liege  lord,  the  indignant  spirit  of  the  veteran 
revolted  from  so  humiliating  a  testimony  of  subjection  ;  "  Never, 
by  God,"  exclaimed  he,  "  will  I  bend  my  knees  to,  or  kiss  the  feet 
of,  a  brother  man ! " 

The  church  of  St.  Owen,  is  another  of  the  interesting  religious 
edifices  of  Rouen,  and  belonged  to  the  oldest  conventional  estab- 
lishment in  Normandy.  It  is  situated  in  the  Palais  Royal,  and 
occupies  a  larger  extent  of  ground  even  than  the  Cathedral.  It 
is  a  most  admirable  specimen  of  the  pointed  Gothic,  —  its  fine  oc- 
tagonal tower,  rising  from  the  centre  of  the  building,  is  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty-five  feet  in  height.  There  are  several  other  churches 
in  Eouen,  well  deserving  of  notice,  and  some  of  them  of  high 
antiquity. 

The  Town  Hall,  adjoining  the  Church  of  St.  Owen,  was  origi- 
nally a  portion  of  the  conventional  edifice.  It  is  now  appropri- 
ated to  various  public  offices,  and  contains  the  museum  and  public 
library.  In  the  latter,  which  consists  of  80,000  volumes,  and 
about  12,000  manuscripts,  I  was  shown  several  objects,  which, 
from  the  associations  connected  with  them,  possessed  peculiar  in- 


STATUE  OF  VOLTAIRE.  87 


terest  to  me.  Preserved  in  a  neat  mahogany  case,  are  the  keys 
of  the  city  wliich  had  been  presented  to  Napoleon.  This  is  only 
one  of  the  numerous  evidences  which  the  traveller  is  constantly 
meeting  with  in  France,  of  the  almost  perfect  adoration  in  which 
the  great  captain  is  held  by  the  entire  nation. 

Several  of  the  manuscripts  are  very  old,  and  are  musty  with 
the  damp  of  years.  I  was  shown  more  than  one,  said  to  have  been 
from  Voltaire,  one  of  the  master  spirits  of  modern  literature.  As 
I  turned  over  the  leaves,  I  could  hardly  realize  that  the  lines  be- 
fore me  were  traced  by  the  pen  of  a  genius  so  powerful  as  to  have 
moved  to  its  centre  the  entire  world  of  thought  and  opinion.  A 
little  further  on,  is  a  bronze  statue  of  Voltaire.  I  was  told  that  it 
was  an  uncommonly  faithful  likeness.  I  must  confess  that,  at  the 
first  glance,  I  was  filled  with  disappointment  and  chagrin.  It  w-as 
pome  time  before  I  could  reconcile  the  apparently  insignificant  fig- 
ure before  me,  with  the  splendidly  grand  beau  ideal  image  which 
my  imagination  had  pictured  to  my  conception.  A  few  moments* 
reflection,  however,  and  a  more  careful  study  of  the  face,  rectified 
measurably  my  first  illusion.  The  countenance  was  remarkably  ex- 
pressive, —  and,  in  the  angulation  of  the  muscles,  bore  indisputable 
marks  of  that  steadiness  and  intenseness  of  thought,  which  is  a 
condition  of  clearness  of  conception  and  acutencss  of  discrimi- 
nation, qualities  rare,  of  great  excellence,  and  withal  so  prominent 
in  the  style  of  the  eminent  writer.  He  was  sitting  in  an  armed 
chair,  the  body  slightly  inclined  forward,  in  an  easy  position,  and 
the  hands  holding  firmly  the  sides.  The  impression  which  I  car- 
ried away,  was  not  altogether  pleasing,  though  it  Avas  distinct  and 
profound ;  and  has  haunted  my  imagination  at  times  ever  since. 
The  statue  was  rather  below  the  medium  height,  I  should  judge ; 
the  body  lean  even  to  gauntness,  while  the  sharp,  prominent 
features,  skinny  hands,  impending  eye-brows,  and  deep,  hollow 


CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


eye-sockets,  gave  a  cadaverous  aspect  almost  shuddering  to  the 
feelings.  There  was,  besides,  a  mysterious  air  enveloping  the 
whole  face,  impossible  to  be  satisfactorily  revealed.  But  the  most 
distinct  feature  in  the  character  of  the  remarkable  physiognomy, 
was  a  certain  facetious,  exulting  exjiression,  such  as  I  have  not 
elsewhere  seen,  and  resembling  what  we  may  well  suppose  to  have 
been  the  look  of  his  Satanic  majesty,  when  contemplating  the  suc- 
cessful consummation  of  his  foul  plot,  hopelessly  to  ruin  our  first 
parents,  and  through  them  the  whole  human  race.  Had  Voltaire 
produced  but  one  work,  and  that  the  one  he  entitled  Candida, 
there  would  have  been  an  exact  resemblance  between  his  expressed 
thoughts,  and  the  most  mai'ked  point  in  his  expressive  face. 

A  few  other  objects  of  note  shown  me,  were,  a  miniature  church, 
very  elaborate  and  curious  in  workmanship ;  a  bronze  statue  of 
the  Chinese  emperor,  surrounded  with  his  mandarins,  in  very  nat- 
ural attitude  ;  and  one  of  Napoleon's  eagles,  bearing  this  inscrip- 
tion :  Force  a  la  hi,  et  fidelitc  a  Vempereur,  which  may  be  ren- 
dered, strength  to  the  law,  and  fidelity  to  the  emperor.  The 
museum  has  been  open  to  the  public,  since  the  fourth  of  July, 
1809.  The  pictures  number  three  hundred,  and  many  of  them 
are  very  striking.  I  noted,  among  others,  A  Descent  from  the 
Cross,  A  Scene  of  Carnage  bettoeen  the  Romans  and  Jews,  Por- 
traits of  the  Sacred  Writers,  A  Fishing  Smack,  Christ  and  the 
Woman  at  the  Well,  The  Death  of  Abel,  and  a  pilgrim  in  a  state 
of  religious  ecstasy.  There  was  also  a  most  exquisitely  beautiful 
statue  of  a  Madeline,  in  marble.  From  the  library,  I  went  to  the 
Palais  de  Justice.  This  magnificent  Gothic  palace  was  built  for 
the  parliament  of  Normandy,  at  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century. 
La  Salle  de  Procureiirs,  or  Hall  of  Attornies,  is  a  noble  saloon, 
whose  dimensions  and  proportions  are  striking  beyond  anything  I 
had  before  seen,  or  have  witnessed  since.     It  is  seventy  feet  from 


JOAN  OF  ARC.  89 


the  pavement,  and  is  unsupported  by  a  single  column.  The  acute 
arched  ceiling  springs  over  your  head,  like  the  expanse  of  the  sky. 
In  crossing  the  square  of  La  Pucelle,  I  stopped  a  moment  to 
regard  an  indifferent  statue  of  the  famous  Joan  d'Arc,  or  Maid  of 
Orleans,  erected  on  the  spot  where  that  remarkable  heroine  suf- 
fered martyrdom  in  1431.  There  is  httle  in  the  statue  to  admire 
as  a  work  of  art ;  but  the  feehngs  it  awakens,  and  the  reflections 
it  gives  rise  to,  are  sufficiently  absorbing,  to  arrest  the  step  of  the 
historic  traveller.  This  remarkable  woman  was  born  of  obscure 
parentage,  and  spent  the  early  portion  of  her  life  in  serving  in  a 
menial  capacity,  deprived  of  the  advantages  of  education,  and 
those  favorable  circumstances  which  are  deemed  essential  to  confer 
distinction  or  eminence.  But  these  obstacles  did  not  hinder  her 
from  rising  to  a  sphere  of  influence,  hardly  equalled  in  the  annals 
of  history,  and  of  handing  down  lier  name  encircled  with  a  halo 
of  light,  to  future  time.  Possessing  genius  of  a  high  order,  her 
soul  panted  for  something  above  the  lot  Providence  had  assigned 
her ;  and  her  great  benevolence  naturally  led  her  to  look  for  some 
way  in  which  she  could  be  useful  to  her  people.  This  soon  ap- 
peared. France  had  been  invaded  by  the  English,  and  the  affairs 
of  the  French  king  had  become  reduced  to  the  greatest  extremity. 
To  rid  the  country  of  the  hated  English,  would  confer  the  greatest 
of  blessings  on  her  nation,  and  render  her  name  illustrious  in  all 
forthcoming  time.  Possessing  a  powerful  imagination,  united 
■with  deep  religious  fervor,  mixed  with  the  superstition  of  the 
times,  she  revolved  upon  the  thought,  until  she  imagined  seeing 
in  a  vision,  St.  Michael,  the  tutelary  Saint  of  France,  who  ordered 
her  to  raise  the  siege  of  Orleans,  which  the  English  were  then 
besieging,  and  to  preside  at  the  coronation  of  Charles  YII,  at 
Rheims.  Placing  herself  at  the  head  of  the  French  army,  she 
infused  so  much  ardor  and  enthusiasm  into  the  French  soldiers, 

8* 


90  CEESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WOKLD. 


that  the  English  were  defeated,  the  siege  raised,  and  the  French 
king  crowned,  just  as  foretold.  She  was,  however,  subsequently 
wounded  at  the  siege  of  Paris,  and  taken  prisoner  at  Compiegne. 
Instead  of  treating  her  honorably  as  a  captive,  the  English  fixed 
an  indelible  stigma  upon  their  character,  by  treating  her  harshly, 
and  causing  her  to  be  burnt  at  the  stake.  Her  simple  manners, 
purity  of  sentiment,  and  the  courage  and  intrepidity  with  which 
she  walked  to  the  fatal  stake,  have  rendered  her  name  a  favorite 
in  the  galaxy  of  female  stars  of  the  first  magnitude.  But  while 
the  French  regard  her  as  the  saint  of  France,  the  English,  in  the 
spirit  of  their  deep-rooted  animosity  to  the  French  nation,  have 
characterized  her  as  a  sorceress,  a  giglot  wench.  Even  the  genius 
of  Shakspeare  forsakes  him  on  this  occasion,  when  he  represents 
her  in  an  odious  light,  entirely  disproved  by  history. 

Tlie  Cote  de  St.  Catherine  is  a  steep  declivity  of  considerable  el- 
evation, overlooking  the  city  on  the  east.  I  reached  the  summit 
by  a  circuitous  route,  after  no  Httle  toil  over  the  steep  road  rendered 
slippery  by  the  recent  rains.  But  on  reaching  the  height,  I  was 
amply  repaid  for  all  my  fatigue,  by  the  fine  view  spread  out  before 
me.  The  city,  comprising  100,000  inhabitants,  Avith  its  angular 
and  dingy  roofs,  and  its  numerous  lofty  spires  and  towers,  piercing 
the  murky  cloud  that  partially  enveloped  it,  lay  below  me.  The 
verdant  and  delightful  country  by  wliich  it  is  surrounded,  adds  to 
the  pleasing  aspect.  Tlie  Seine,  by  which  it  communicates  with 
the  Capital  on  the  one  hand,  and  with  the  flourishing  seaport  of 
Havre  on  the  other,  is  here  crossed  by  a  bridge  of  boats  and  one 
of  stone,  and  divides  it  from  its  large  suburb  of  St.  Sevier.  The 
boulevards  which  are  planted  with  trees  like  those  of  Paris,  and  the 
fine  broad  quays  and  cours,  which  extend  along  the  banks  of  the 
river,  are  in  striking  contrast  with  the  narrow,  crooked  streets  of 
the  old  city. 


HEAD-WINDS  AND  CALMS.  91 

As  I  stood  gazing  on  the  scene  before  me,  I  could  not  help  fall- 
ing into  a  musing  mood.  The  wave  of  history  was  rolled  back,  and 
the  mind,  quickened  by  the  influence  of  local  association,  and  sped 
on  by  the  power  of  memoiy,  ran  rapidly  through  the  events  of  the 
past,  vividly  picturing  to  the  mental  eye,  the  renowned  exploits  of  a 
chivalrous  age.  I  could  almost  fancy  to  see  drawn  out  in  martial 
array  before  me,  on  some  plain,  those  stern  Norman  knights,  who 
were  the  terror  even  of  the  kings  of  France,  heavily  mounted  on 
war  chargers,  and  clad  in  steel  armour  ;  and  either  meditating  some 
expedition  of  l)lood,  or  recreating  in  the  desperate  feats  of  chivalry 
for  the  amusement  of  the  softer  sex.  The  Normans  are  proud  of 
their  descent,  and  are  ever  recounting  some  striking  feat  of  their 
ancestors  ;  and  well  they  may  pride  themselves  on  tracing  their  or- 
igin to  those  powerful  barons  who  waged  war  successfully  with 
France,  and  held  even  England  in  subjection,  for  so  many  centu- 
ries. 

I  reached  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  the  west  side,  opposite  to  where 
I  made  the  ascent,  with  quite  as  much  difficulty,  sometimes  sliding, 
at  others,  involuntarily  running, — and  often  apprehensive  of  losing 
my  equilibrium,  so  steep  was  the  descent,  and  slippery  and  difficult 
the  way. 

Returning  to  my  hotel  through  the  most  ancient  part  of  the 
city,  afforded  an  interesting  view  of  what  renders  Rouen  a  most 
delightful  resort  to  the  lovers  of  the  antique  and  curious.  The 
streets  were  narrow,  crooked,  and  without  side-walks ;  the  pave- 
ment of  square  stones  declining  to  the  middle  of  the  street,  from 
tiie  houses,  on  either  side.  Of  the  quaint  old  houses  which  lined 
the  sides  of  the  streets,  an  American  reader  can  hardly  form  a 
conception.  Their  strong  oaken  frames  arc  filled  in  with  cement 
or  brick ;  their  narrow  fronts,  and  high-peaked  roofs,  covered  with 
slates  or  tiles,  while  many  of  their  angles  so  jut  over  the  street  as 


92  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


to  obscure  the  sun's  rays  except  at  noon-day.  Scarcely  any  two 
houses  are  ahke,  and  as  for  blocks  of  houses,  such  as  we  see  in  our 
cities,  there  is  no  such  thing  to  be  found.  The  garniture  of  the 
shoi^s,  and  the  costume  and  manners  of  the  people  who  reside  in 
this  quarter,  are  quite  in  keeping  with  the  oddness  of  other  gen- 
eral features,  and  render  the  whole  a  rare  picture  by  itself.  In- 
deed, you  would  almost  fancy  that  the  entire  quarter  had  been 
recently  dug  up,  as  some  ancient  Herculaneum,  where  it  had  been 
smothering  under  the  ashes  of  oblivion  for  ages.  Most  travellers 
go  direct  to  Paris  from  England  by  another  way,  and  thus  miss 
seeing,  next  to  Paris,  probably  the  most  interesting  city  in  France, 
if  not  in  Europe. 

Outside  of  the  boulevards,  the  appearance  of  the  buildings  is 
quite  different.  The  streets  are  wider,  straighter,  and  you  often 
see  handsome  houses,  built  of  the  soft  cream-colored  stone,  that 
abounds  everywhere  in  France.  The  old  and  new  quarters  pro- 
sent  a  heightened  contrast,  for  which  you  are  indebted  to  the  in- 
crease of  population  and  wealth  of  the  place  of  late,  owing  to  the 
concentration  of  trade  at  Havre,  the  introduction  of  steamboats 
upon  the  Seine,  and  the  fine  rail-road  which  has  recently  been 
completed,  connecting  Paris,  Rouen  and  Havre,  as  commercial 
cities. 

Dined  at  5  p.  M., the  u.ual  hour  in  France,  at  the  Table  d'hote^ 
—  the  landlord  doing  the  honors  of  the  table  in  a  dignified 
and  affable  manner.  The  course  was  frugal,  consisting  only  of 
soup,  fish,  and  three  kinds  of  meat,  with  dessert.  The  dishes  were, 
however,  exceedingly  nice,  and  the  whole  greatly  enlivened  by 
the  grace,  vivacity,  and  intelligent  conversation  of  a  small  number 
of  French  gentlemen,  who  formed  part  of  the  company.  They 
at  once  drew  me  out  in  conversation,  interested  themselves  in  the 
object  of  my  tour,  —  taking  much  pains  to  give  me  all  the  in- 


IMPOSING  APPEARANCE  OF  ROUEN.  93 


formation  in  their  power  that  could  be  of  possible  service  to  me. 
They  even  praised  my  French.  This,  however,  I  took  as  an  act 
of  excessive  politeness  on  their  part.  I  may  be  allowed  to  remark, 
however,  that  the  French  never  laugh  at  your  mistakes,  unless, 
indeed,  they  are,  what  needs  sometimes  happen,  uncontrollably 
di'oU.  They  rather  assure  you,  anticipate  your  meaning,  and,  in  a 
most  dehcate  manner,  set  you  right.  In  this  respect,  at  least,  we 
may  take,  with  advantage,  a  lesson  from  this  people.  One  of  the 
gentlemen  had  an  uncle  in  New  York  ;  the  landlord  had  been  in 
England,  and  spoke  English ;  another  gentleman  intended  soon  to 
travel  in  America,  —  so  that  these  circumstances  brought  out,  only 
increased  the  interest  of  conversation,  bound  us  closer  in  the  bonds 
of  social  friendship,  and  it  was  only  till  after  a  late  hour  that  we 
parted,  after  exchanging  cards. 

Rouen  has  an  imposing  external  appearance.  It  is  oval,  or 
rather  lozenge-shaped,  and  was,  for  a  long  time,  strongly  fortified  ; 
but  its  ramparts  are  now  demolished,  and  their  place  occupied  by 
a  series  of  boulevards.  The  squares,  or  open  spaces,  are  shabby 
and  irregular,  and,  except  the  Place  Boyale,  near  the  centre  of  the 
city,  are  all  insignificant  in  size.  Some,  however,  are  ornamented 
with  public  fountains,  of  which  the  city  is  well  supplied.  The 
Fontaine  de  Sisieux  is  a  curious  piece  of  antique  sculpture,  re- 
presenting mount  Parnassus,  with  figures  of  Apollo,  Pegassus,  etc. 

Rouen  is  an  opulent  city,  and  is  so  eminent  for  its  cotton  man- 
ufactures, that  it  has  gained  the  title  of  the  French  Manchester. 
Formerly,  the  spinning  and  weaving  were  both  done  by  hand ;  but 
now,  both  water  and  steam-power  are  largely  used.  It  is  stated 
by  Villerme,  that  in  1840  there  were  fifty  thousand  persons,  men, 
women  and  diildren,  or  about  half  the  entire  population  of  the  city 
and  suburbs,  engaged  in  the  cotton  manufacture. 

There  are  numerous  institutions  of  interest  in  the  venerable 


94  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


city ;  among  others,  may  be  mentioned  the  Royal,  and  University 
Academies,  a  royal  College,  Bible  Society,  Schools  of  Design,  and 
Ng-vigation,  and  various  charitable  institutions.  But  Rouen  is 
particularly  interesting  to  the  student,  as  having  given  birth  to 
some  of  the  most  illustrious  individuals  of  whom  France  has  to 
boast,  among  Avhom  may  be  named  Pierre  Corneille,  deservedly 
Burnamed  Grand,  one  of  the  greatest  modern  dramatists  ;  also, 
his  brother,  Thomas  Corneille  ;  Fontenelle,  the  academician  ;  Bo- 
chart,  the  famous  Oriental  scholar ;  Daniel,  the  historian ;  Brumoi, 
and  others. 


CHAPTER  X. 

ANNOYING  TRAIT  OF  FRENCH  LANDLORDS  —  COMPARATIVE  EX- 
CELLENCE OF  RAILAVAYS  IN  FRANCE  —  EMOTIONS  ON  ARRIVAL 
IN  PARIS  —  HOTEL  DU  HAVRE,  A  SCENE  WITH  THE  LANDLADY 
KINDNESS  OF  MADAM  DAVID. 

Jan.  ^th.  Took  the  morning  train  for  Paris.  My  bill  at  the 
hotel,  where  I  had  stopped  in  Rouen,  considerably  exceeded  my 
expectations,  by  which  I  understood  some  of  the  especial  polite- 
ness shown  me  by  the  affable  landlord  and  his  amiable  wife  was 
not  for  nothing.  As  I  had  made  a  particular  bargain  in  regard 
to  terms,  before  engaging  rooms,  I  demurred  a  little  at  his  charges, 
—  whereupon  he  condescended  to  inform  me  of  the  usage  at  first- 
class  hotels,  of  adding  a  franc  per  day  for  extras,  whether  the 
traveller  received  them  or  not ;  and  it  was  expected,  further,  that 
the  travelling  gentleman  would  hand  over  something  besides  for 
the  service  of  domestics,  etc.  I  convinced  him,  in  a  word,  that  I 
was  not  altogether  uninformed  in  the  premises,  when  he  at  once 
rescinded  the  charge  for  extras,  remarking  simply  that  I  might 
give  at  pleasure. 

This  practice  of  taking  the  advantage  of  the  ignorance  or  good 
nature  of  foreigners,  who  are  travelling  in  France,  is  common,  if 
not  universal.  And  I  am  not  sure  that  it  is  peculiar  to  France, 
but  that  it  prevails  on  the  continent.  It  is  needless  to  add,  that 
this  petty  swindling  is  sufllciently  annoying,  especially  to  an 
American,  who,  though  not  entirely  unacquainted  with  a  species 


96  CRESTS  FROM  THE   OCEAN-WOKLD. 

of  over-reaching  in  business,  has  no  experience  corresponding  to 
this.  In  the  United  States,  one  never  feels  the  least  necessity  for 
entering  into  stipulations  beforehand,  for  a  night's  lodging,  or  day 
or  two's  board  at  a  public  hotel,  to  prevent  paying  double  the  or- 
dinary charge.  But  quite  different  is  it  in  Europe,  where,  in  fault 
of  a  previous  understanding  as  to  price,  you  will  pay  for  the  ne- 
glect. In  other  respects  I  found  the  French  landlords  and 
ladies  to  merit  high  commendation,  —  polite,  accommodating,  and 
strictly  honest.  This  alone  seems  a  defect  in  their  admirable 
manner  toward  travellers.  Like  unamiable  national  traits  often 
met  with  elsewhere,  it  has  the  strength  of  long  usage  to  plead 
its  innocence.  Surprising  it  is  to  a  stranger,  how  such  per- 
verse dealing  could  ever  become  so  ingrained  with  the  public,  as 
to  render  the  national  conscience  blind  to  the  fault.  It  adds  an 
item  to  the  chapter  of  human  inconsistency. 

I  found  the  general  reception-room,  at  the  depot,  spacious  and 
even  elegant.  After  delivering  my  luggage,  buying  a  ticket,  etc., 
I  passed  into  a  neat  and  well-furnished  parlor,  having  besides,  the 
very  convenient  appendages  of  water-closet,  and  recesses  for  ar- 
ranging toilet.  The  cars  were  soon  by  the  door,  and  we  issued  for 
seats,  leaving  our  tickets  as  we  passed  out.  Each  took  the  coach 
he  fancied,  and  there  was  a  slight  bustle  for  choice.  In  a  moment 
the  city,  with  its  lofty  spires,  was  receding  in  the  distance,  and  we 
were  wending  our  way,  with  the  speed  of  an  arrow,  toward  the 
queen-city.  I  must  confess  that  my  feehngs  were  elate  at  the 
thought  of  so  soon  realizing  the  splendid  dream  of  my  youth.  On 
Ave  bounded,  through  hill  and  dale,  over  river,  under  massive 
arched  tunnels,  —  some  of  them  of  great  length.  The  French 
railways  have  the  appearance  of  being  thoroughly  construct- 
ed,—  the  motion  is  even,  and  the  carriages  easy  and  com- 
fortable.    The  interior  of  the  carriages  of  the  second  grade  are 


RAILWAYS  IN  FRANCE.  97 


lined  with  white  Hnen,  and  side-lamps  are  kept  burning  to  abate 
the  gloom  that  would  otherwise  seize  upon  passengers,  while  pass- 
ing under  the  long  tunnels,  of  which  there  arc  several  upon  this 
route.  The  road  crosses  the  Seine  no  less  than  six  times ;  and 
this,  together  with  the  many  deep  cuts,  the  expensive  depots,  and 
way-stations,  and  the  superior  appointments  in  respect  to  officers, 
must  needs  render  the  road  an  expensive  one.  Its  great  cost  will 
be  more  apparent,  when  we  consider  that  it  runs  through  the 
heart  of  Normandy,  cutting  into  valuable  parks,  gardens,  and 
sometimes,  passing  near  villages,  and  even  through  them.  The 
travel  on  the  road,  judging  by  the  number  with  us,  and  the  mod- 
erate rates  of  charge,  would  seem  hardly  to  warrant  the  opinion 
that  the  stock  is  remunerative  to  its  holders,  though  it  must  be 
taken  into  the  account  that  labor  is  cheaper,  and  per-cent.  interest 
less  in  France  than  in  the  United  States.  But  the  road  is  of 
grand  importance  to  the  commercial  interest  of  the  three  promi- 
nent cities  of  which  it  forms  the  connecting  chain,  —  and  its  stock 
must  continue  to  enhance  in  value  upon  a  most  durable  basis.  I 
noticed  one  feature  in  the  appointment  of  the  road  which  I  have 
not  observed  elsewhere,  and  which,  it  seems  to  me,  is  worthy  of 
mention.  Men  were  stationed  at  distances  along  the  road,  and  as 
it  grew  dark  I  noticed  that  they  held  lanterns.  I  was  told  that  it 
was  their  duty  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  render  aid  or 
succor  in  case  of  accident  while  the  cars  were  traversing  the  road, 
as  well  as  to  keep  the  track  clear  of  encumbrances  of  every  kind 
whatever,  whether  made  by  the  carelessness  of  others,  or  by 
malicious-minded  persons.  And  when  it  is  considered  how  often 
accidents  upon  railroads  happen  in  our  own  country, — for  instance, 
sometimes  arising  from  obstructions  u()on  the  track,  resulting  even 
in  great  loss  of  life,  this  feature  would  seem  imperiously  to  re- 
commend itself  for  adoption  to  all  managers  of  railroads  who 
9 


98  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


have  it  not  already,  and  who  feel  a  deep  and  lively  sense  of  the 
important  trust  of  human  life  committed  to  their  hands. 

On  the  whole,  I  received  a  favorable  impression  of  their  man- 
agement of  railroads,  in  France.  Their  construction  is,  doubtless, 
much  after  the  English  mode  of  building,  —  the  English  having 
been,  tiU  very  recently,  principally  employed  as  engineers,  and 
even  workmen ;  but  both  the  construction  in  the  more  solid  and 
lighter  parts,  and  the  management,  are  considerably  modified  by 
the  French  genius,  and  accordingly  partake  much  of  the  grace 
and  luxury  of  the  national  character. 

The  cars  stopped  within  the  rich  iron  ballustrades  of  the  station 
at  Paris ;  and  in  a  moment,  we  were  aU  in  the  spacious  room  of 
the  octroi,  awaiting  the  inspection  by  the  officers,  of  our  luggage. 
This,  however,  causes  but  slight  delay,  especially  if  you  submit  to 
the  form  required  by  law  with  polite  acquiescence,  and  there  are 
no  circumstances  to  render  you  a  suspected  person.  On  my  whole 
tour,  I  was  never  detained  more  than  a  moment  from  this  cause, 
—  the  officer  merely  unlocking  the  valise,  and  casting  a  glance, 
for  form's  sake.  AU,  however,  do  not  escape  so  lightly.  The 
quick  and  experienced  eye  of  the  officers  easily  distinguish  the 
class  of  travellers  who  would  be  likely  to  need  watching ;  and, 
accordingly,  some  are  subjected  to  a  most  thorough,  and  often  ex- 
ceedingly mortifying  search.  I  more  than  once  witnessed,  with 
feelings  akin  to  commiseration,  the  cumbersome  packages  of 
women  of  the  lower  class,  undergoing  a  most  tumultuous  exami- 
nation,—  the  different  parcels  tumbled  about,  as  if  the  officers 
were  quite  indifferent  as  to  the  feelings  of  the  owner,  and  regard- 
less of  her  right  of  property.  And  I  may  observe,  that  Avhile  the 
French  government  officers  are  almost  invariably  polite  to  the 
last  degree,  to  those  termed  gentlemen  and  lady  passengers,  they 
may  often  be  seen  treating  females  of  the  lower  classes,  in  their 


ARRIVAL  AT  PARIS.  99 


official  duties,  as  if  not  particularly  inspired  -ndtb  a  true  and  deli- 
cate regard  for  the  sex. 

The  examination  over,  I  was  soon  in  the  city,  strolling  leisurely 
a-foot,  the  better  to  enjoy  undistracted,  the  profound  yet  delightful 
sensations  of  being  really  in  Paris,  so  long  a  bright  image  of  my 
imagination.  "What  indescribable  emotions  I  felt,  as  I  joined  the 
sweeping  throng  in  the  immense  and  densely-populated  capital ! 
What  wonders  of  art  were  soon  to  break  upon  my  enraptured 
gaze  !  Everything  around  evinced  a  marked  superiority  in  exact 
accordance  with  the  unrivalled  reputation  of  the  place.  The 
streets  were  wider  and  cleaner,  the  edifices  loftier,  and  more  grand 
and  beautiful,  than  is  met  with  in  the  provincial  towns.  Even  the 
persons  in  the  streets,  in  their  costume,  gait,  and  general  air,  par- 
took of  the  pervading  character,  exhibiting  a  polisli  of  manner, 
and  an  easy  and  elevated  style  of  movement,  not  elsewhere  to  be 
seen. 

A  few  rods  from  the  depot,  I  came  to  the  Hotel  du  Havre.  As 
I  entered,  a  neatly  dressed  and  agreeably-mannered  female  do- 
mestic accosted  me  in  bland  and  insinuating  tones,  then  seized  my 
portmanteau,  and  led  the  way  up  a  broad  stairway  of  marble,  and, 
in  the  most  pleasing  manner  imaginable,  showed  me  the  several 
unoccupied  rooms  of  the  hotel.  With  a  delicacy  of  politeness 
peculiar  to  the  French,  she  did  not  assign  me  a  rank  of  style 
which  was  natural,  by  the  humble  manner  that  I  entered  the 
house,  by  showing  me  only  the  less  expensive  rooms,  but  took  me 
at  first  into  the  grand  apartments.  Some  of  them  were  indeed 
magnificent  enough  to  satisfy  a  fastidious  taste.  Their  wide  di- 
mensions disclosed  a  gorgeous  array  of  Brussels  carpetings,  sump- 
tuous ottomans,  and  sofas  richly  carved,  and  gilded  ceiling,  and 
magnificently  rich  damask  and  silk  hangings.  I  made  choice  of 
a  humble  and  cozy  room  —  a  niche  merely,  compared  to  some  of 


100  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


the  apartments  —  for  thirty  francs  per  month,  with  light,  fuel,  and 
attendance  extra.  I  was  to  take  it  for  a  month,  provided  I  found 
the  situation  of  the  hotel  in  a  favorable  part  of  the  city  for  my 
studies.  After  purchasing  a  guide-book  for  three  and  a  half  francs, 
which  the  concierge  of  the  house  told  me  was  at  least  twice  as 
much  as  it  was  worth,  I  spent  the  remainder  of  the  evening  in  its 
perusal. 

The  morning  broke  upon  my  expectant  thoughts,  with  inspiring 
effect.  My  first  thoughts  were  turned,  of  course,  towards  the  post- 
office,  where,  I  fondly  anticipated,  were  awaiting  me  letters  from 
home.  By  consulting  duly  the  intelligible  plan  of  Paris,  which  I 
had  purchased  and  examined  carefully  the  evening  before,  I  found 
the  place  readily,  and  without  inquiring  even  for  once.  But,  O 
how  bitter  the  disappointment ! 

I  now  perceived  that  my  lodgings  were  in  an  unfavorable  part 
of  the  city  for  my  purpose,  and  that  I  should  do  well  to  remove 
my  locale  to  the  south  of  the  Seine,  in  the  students'  quarter.  Pas- 
sing from  Rue  J.  J.  Jacques,  I  entered  the  magnificent  square  of 
the  Louvre,  the  sumptuous  and  varied  architecture  of  which, 
nearly  bewildered  me  with  delight.  In  a  moment,  the  grand  and 
beautiful  view  along  the  quays  of  the  Seine,  was  revealed.  Pas- 
sing down  Rue  de  Seine,  I  found  a  comfortable  room,  on  moderate 
terms,  at  Madam  David's,  No.  57  bis.  I  was  quite  delighted  at 
the  appearance  and  manner  of  my  new  landlady.  She  was  a  fine 
specimen  of  the  class  termed  grisettes,  who  combine  an  assembled 
charm,  as  difficult  to  describe,  as  it  would  be  to  paint  the  hues  of 
the  rainbow.  Her  fascinating  manners  were  the  perfection  of 
delicacy  and  grace.  While  contemplating  her  in  animated  con- 
versation with  another,  it  was  less  difficult  to  imagine  the  wonder- 
ful spell  of  the  famed  Cleopatra. 

Ai-rangements  completed  with  Madame  D.,  I  returned  to  Hotel 


SCENE  WITH  A  LANDLADY.  IQl 


du  Havre,  in  order  to  remove  to  my  new  quarters.     On  ringing 
my  bell,  a  maid  appeared,  and  politely  requested  me  to  descend, 
and  arrange  my  account  with  Madame  of  the  hotel.     I  was  ush- 
ered into  a  spacious  and  elegantly  furnished  room,  on  the  story 
below.     A  lady  of  genteel  figure  and  dress,  was  reclining  upon  a 
sofa.     She  immediately  arose,  and  awaited  my  commands  without 
speaking.     She  was  tall,  clad  in  full  black,  and  bore  a  sedate  and 
thoughtful  expression.     On  asking  for  my  bill,  she   promptly  re- 
plied in  a  subdued  tone,  but  with  a  business-like  precision  and  air, 
that  it  would  be  sixteen  and  a-half  francs.     I  observed,  in  reply, 
that  Madame  was  doubtless  unaware  that  I  had  occupied  the  room 
but  one  night.     She  immediately  answered  in  a  tone  and  manner 
of  independence  of   feeling,  shaded,  indeed,  by  her  inimitable 
grace  of  manner,  that  by  a  rule  of  the  establishment,  gentlemen, 
on  securing  a  room  for  a  month,  and  then  leaving  it  after  one  or  a 
few  days,  were  expected  to  pay  the  hire   of  half  a  month.     I  re- 
marked again,  that  my  engagement  was  conditional.    She  promptly 
showed  me  the  book  in  which  my  name  was  registered,  against 
the  number  of  my  room,  for  a  month.     I  called  her  attention  to 
the  fact,  that  the  writing  was  done  by  another  person,  and  not  by 
myself,  and  requested  that  she  would  call  tlie  concierge  with  whom 
I  stipulated  for  the  hire  of  the  room,  to  verify  the  accuracy  of  my 
original  statement.     The  woman  appeared,  and,  amid  some  em- 
barrassment of  manner,  and  tlic  serpentine  language  of  duplicity, 
gave  evidence  that  she  could  not  fully  remember  just  how  it  was, 
but  it  was  clearly  her  opinion,  that  Monsieur  had  engaged  the 
room  for  one  month,  as  she  could  never  have  made  so  egregious 
a  mistake  in  registering  his  name ;  whereupon,  Madame  turned 
toward  me  with  a  triumpliant  air,  and  perceiving  my  resolution 
unshaken,  called  a  male  concierge,  and  in  an  imperious  tone,  or- 
dered him  to  take  possession  of  my  luggage,  until  I  should  see  fit 

9* 


102  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


to  come  to  terms.  I  thrust  the  fellow  away,  who  was  making  a 
little  too  free  with  me,  and  walking  up  to  Madame,  tendered  her 
five  francs  for  my  lodging,  —  distmctly  intimating  to  her,  that  on 
receiving  further  indignity  in  her  house,  I  would  call  in  a  police 
officer.  This  had  the  desired  effect.  She  promptly  handed  me 
my  passport,  took  the  piece  of  money,  and  allowed  me  to  depart, 
graciously  biddmg  me  adieu,  as  if  nothing  had  happened.  The 
record  of  the  incident  may  be  serviceable  to  other  travellers. 

In  respect  to  the  passport  mentioned  in  the  above  paragraph,  it 
may  be  well  to  add  further,  that  on  engaging  rooms  in  an  interior 
city  or  town,  in  Finance,  you  deliver  your  passport  to  the  landlord 
of  the  house,  who  deposits  it  in  a  public  office,  where  a  transcript 
synopsis  is  taken  of  it,  and  the  original  returned  to  you.  As  this 
passport  contains,  besides  a  certificate  of  citizenship,  some  descrip- 
tion of  your  person,  this  arrangement  is  not  only  very  convenient 
in  enabling  a  stranger  to  trace  out  the  domicile  of  a  friend  or 
countryman  happening  to  be  in  the  city  at  the  same  time,  —  which 
he  can  easily  do,  by  applying  to  the  proper  authorities  ;  but  it  af- 
fords ready  means  to  the  government  of  knowing  always  how 
many  strangers  are  in  the  city,  and  furnishes  efficient  means  of 
ferreting  out  the  authors  or  perpeti*ators  of  crime.  It  is  a  little 
annoying  to  travellers  ;  but  there  is  no  doubt  that  it  contributes 
essentially  to  the  order  and  tranquillity  of  European  society. 

On  arriving  at  the  hotel,  I  found  my  room  in  a  pleasant  state 
of  readiness,  with  a  glowing  coal  fire  in  the  grate  to  cheer  me, 
while  Madame  David  with  her  amenities  of  manner,  contributed 
to  the  hospitable  feeling  of  home. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

SHOPPING  IX  PARIS  —  FASCINATING  MANNERS  OF  THE  SHOP- 
WOMEN  —  BEAUTIFUL  APPEARANCE  OF  THE  STREETS  —  FASH- 
IONS DIFFERENT  IN  PARIS,  LONDON,  AND  NEW  YORK  — 
NAPOLEON  COLUMN  —  GARDEN  OF  THE  TUILLIERIES  —  LIBRARY 
OF  ST.  GENEVIEVE  —  THE  IMPORTANCE  OF  SOME  DEFINITE 
PLAN    OF    OBSERVATION. 

The  first  business  on  the  morrow  was,  to  replenish  my  ward- 
robe, now  the  worse  for  the  journey  thither.  Madame  was  pleased 
to  offer  me  cards  of  address  to  clothing  stores,  with  useful  "advice 
in  regard  to  purchasing  to  advantage  ;  but  although  I  felt  obliged 
to  her  for  the  favor,  I  waived  it,  preferring  to  trust  to  chance  for 
any  good  fortune  I  might  meet  with  in  the  line  of  purchase.  I 
purposely  spent  the  entire  day  in  selecting  the  required  habili- 
ments, in  order  to  get  a  clearer  view  of  the  features  of  Parisian 
shopping.  The  keepers  were  all  extremely  civil  and  obliging, 
ever  betraying  a  delicate  charm  of  manner  perfectly  delightful. 
As  you  enter  the  store,  you  gracefully  raise  the  hat,  and  salute 
the  lady  or  gentleman  witliin,  which  is  returned  in  a  polite,  but 
not  obsequious  manner.  The  goods  are  shown  you  without  stint  or 
reserve,  but  you  are  not  directly  urged  to  purchase,  —  although 
the  qualities  of  the  articles,  their  newness,  fitness,  and  such  like 
other  points,  become  very  naturally  the  theme  of  an  easy  conver- 
sation, in  which  not  rarely  a  suggestion  is  elicited  that  is  fully  cal- 
culated gently  to  draw  you  in  for  the  purchase.     The  whole  thing 


104  CKESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD, 


is  managed  with  infinite  tact.  You  feel  yourself  perfectly  at  lib- 
erty to  leave  without  buying,  and  yet  you  are  conscious  of  touch- 
ing a  golden  woof  whose  delicate  threads  draw  you  to  the  interests 
of  the  seller.  You  are  not  held  fast  by  the  powers  of  persuasion, 
nor  are  you  made  to  feel,  that  failing  to  purchase,  you  would  vio- 
late any  rule  of  propriety ;  and  yet  an  eloquent  tongue  within, 
pleads  for  the  claims  of  so  much  politeness.  These  remarks  ap- 
ply without  abatement  in  their  force,  to  the  Paris  shopkeepers  in 
general ;  but  they  have  a  special  application  to  the  fair  shopwomen, 
who,  indeed,  form  the  larger  part  in  the  trade.  Whether  these 
are  selected  for  their  greater  personal  attractions  and  superiority 
of  addi'ess,  I  cannot  say ;  but  certain  it  is,  that  they  appear  the 
more  effulgent  gems  in  that  sparkling  brilliant,  Parisian  woman. 
It  would  be  difficult,  I  fancy,  for  an  American  to  enter  a  shop  kept 
by  one  of  these  latter,  and  engage  in  a  purchase,  without  feeling 
at  once  his  purse-strings  loose,  under  the  force  of  her  inimitable 
charms  of  manner.  Her  perfect  neatness  of  person,  the  exquisite 
mode  and  taste  of  her  entire  dress,  the  blandness  and  grace  of  her 
manner,  prepossess  you  at  once  ;  but  when  her  liquid,  silvery 
tones,  modulated  in  soft,  graceful  cadences,  with  an  accent  at  once 
harmonious  and  inspiring,  glide  ujDon  your  ear,  you  are  taken 
captive,  and  make  your  purchases,  without  a  very  clear  perception 
of  the  relation  of  your  finances  to  the  absolute  need  you  have  of 
the  articles  you  are  purchasing.  But  what  if  the  female  in  ques- 
tion chance  to  be  a  fine  specimen  of  one  of  those  exquisites  of 
the  sex,  termed  grisettes?  In  that  case,  you  may  as  well  remain 
at  home,  if  you  are  fully  determined  on  not  purchasing ;  for  any 
attempt  to  control  your  will  in  the  premises,  would  most  certainly 
prove  abortive.  It  were  a  futile  effort  to  paint  exactly  this  exotic 
species  of  woman  in  France.  The  most  subtle  genius  might  well 
despair  of  the  attempt.     To  image  forth  a  picture  possessing  truly 


PLEASING  MANNERS  OF  SHOPWOMEN.  105 


the  cognizable  features  of  the  original,  would  require  more  than 
the  immortal  pencil  of  a  Raphael,  dipped  in  the  sublimated  hues 
of  nature.  Simplicity,  apparent  artlessness,  grace,  and  a  certain 
tenderness,  heightened  by  a  tone  and  accent  sweet  and  liquid,  are 
so  happily  blended,  as  to  remind  you  of  the  facile  harmony  of  the 
spheres,  and  of  a  freshness,  to  bring  to  mind  the  carolling  of  the 
matin  songster,  as  he  pours  forth  his  melloAv,  gushing  notes,  on  the 
dewy  spray,  while  all  nature  breathes  incense  to  the  depth  and 
melody  of  the  artless  song. 

The  shops  in  Paris,  as  I  have  already  said,  are,  in  general,  kept 
by  females  ;  but  1  observed  that  the  clothing-stores,  or  those  for 
male  attire,  were  most  commonly  attended  by  gentlemen,  or  at 
least  you  are  waited  on  by  such,  when  making  fits  to  your  person. 
This  struck  me  as  being  worthy  of  note,  in  a  city  where  the  strug- 
gle for  pecuniary  existence  is  so  intense,  as  continually  to  threaten 
to  ingulf  in  the  vortex  of  human  sti'ife  all  the  primary  elements 
of  innate  propriety,  —  and  where  society  is  on  so  easy  footing  as 
to  leave  the  utmost  freedom  to  female  demeanor.  It  only  serves 
to  add,  however,  further  proof  of  the  modesty  of  French  women, 
of  all  classes,  which,  in  their  dress  and  manner,  has  been  ad- 
miringly spoken  of  by  travellers. 

On  leaving,  you  politely  bow  to  madame,  bidding  her  a  pleasant 
day,  which  she  returns  with  perfect  grace  and  good-nature,  and 
this,  too,  on  her  part,  whether  you  have  purchased  articles  of 
her,  or  not.  This  admirable  trait  of  the  Parisian  shopwomen 
is  not  a  little  remarkable.  I  cannot  imagine  that  their  imper- 
turbable blandness  is  always  heartfelt,  but  it  is  ever,  neverthe- 
less, pleasingly  admirable,  and  it  serves  to  show  to  what  point 
the  social  elements  of  character  may  be  disciplined.  I  must  con- 
fess, that  I  rarely  left  a  shop  myself  without  buying  something, 
however  small  the  purchase;  but  I  often  witnessed  the  French 


106  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


themselves,  after  occasioning  a  deal  of  lost  time  and  inconvenience 
to  madame  in  showing  them  the  different  articles  in  her  shop, 
leave  —  receiving  the  same  sweet  and  courteous  adieu  from  the 
woman,  as  if  they  had  purchased  half  the  goods  in  her  shop.  In- 
deed, I  have  one  case  in  point,  fresh  in  my  mind.  While  standing 
one  day  at  the  counter  of  one  of  those  little  open  shops,  frequently 
to  be  met  with  in  the  cross-streets  of  the  city,  and  ai-ranging  for  a 
purchase,  a  gentleman  stepped  up,  and  as  he  seemed  somewhat  in 
haste,  I  made  a  movement  aside,  yielding  him  the  exclusive  atten- 
tion of  the  charming  shoj^woman.  He  was  dressed  superbly,  and 
bore  an  air  and  style  of  manners  that  bespoke  him  one  of  the  ex- 
quisites of  the  city.  He  handled  over  the  diiferent  articles,  find- 
ing fault  with  every  object  he  examined,  —  one  being  too  small, 
another  too  large,  this  too  dear,  that  of  inferior  quality,  —  until 
the  unwearied  woman  had  shown  him  half  the  things  in  her  store, 
which  she  did  with  the  greatest  readiness  and  patience,  —  when 
the  rather  pompous  Parisian  went  away  without  deigning  to  leave 
a  single  sou  of  his  money  witli  the  woman,  to  console  her  for  the 
infinite  pains  she  had  been  put  to.  He  had  the  courtesy,  however, 
on  going  away,  to  bestow  a  fine  bow,  and  a  most  classically  mould- 
ed valediction,  whilii  the  woman  returned  an  apparently  cordial  and 
graceful  pleasant-day,  her  countenance  and  manner  betraying  not 
the  slightest  indication  of  the  chagrin,  not  to  say  smothered  indig- 
nation, which  she  must  have  inwardly  felt  at  such  annoying 
treatment. 

The  graceful  attractions  and  winning  manner  of  the  Parisian 
shopkeepers,  render  shopping  in  Paris  most  delightful ;  and  the 
effect  of  such  amenity  of  manners,  must  be  favorable  to  the  social 
character  of  the  city. 

It  is  quite  needless  to  add,  that  the  various  articles  in  the  shops 
are  arranged  with  infinite  taste,  and  so  presented  as  to  show  to  the 


STYLE  OF  DRESS  IN  PARIS.  107 


best  advantage ;  for  all  this  we  should  expect  in  a  city  in  which 
style  is  carried  to  so  high  a  point  as  in  Paris  ;  —  but  in  some  of  the 
streets,  the  shop-windows  display  a  degree  of  luxury,  costliness, 
and  magnificence,  scarcely  to  be  conceived  of  by  those  who  have 
not  looked  in  upon  them ;  and  the  articles  are  exhibited  in  so  sump- 
tuous and  alluring  a  shape  as  quite  to  captivate  the  most  fas- 
tidious taste. 

To  a  person  possessing  but  a  moderate  degree  of  the  sense  of  the 
beautiful  in  art,  a  stroll  through  some  of  the  wide  and  clean  streets 
of  the  city,  with  leisure  to  gaze  in  upon  the  magnificent  array  of 
costhness,  could  not  but  prove  a  luxury  in  its  way.  He  would 
seem  to  realize  the  golden  days  of  Persian  splendor,  and  half 
fancy  that  the  entire  wealth  and  taste  of  the  broad  earth  were 
concentrated  within  the  hmits  of  the  queen-city. 

The  quality  of  style  in  the  dress  of  the  Parisians  is  beyond 
praise.  In  combining  grace,  lightness,  and  warmth,  their  garments 
are  unrivalled.  To  be  sure,  Paris  sets  the  fashions  for  the  world; 
and  the  various  other  great  capitals  are  in  the  monthly,  I  might  say, 
weekly  receipt  of  the  latest  Parisian  mode,  which  is  obsequiously 
copied  and  immediately  transmitted  to  the  smaller  cities,  towns 
and  villages  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  entire 
civilized  world  ;  so  that  the  grand  city  becomes  the  emporium  of 
fashion  for  all  civilized  nations,  —  the  fountain-head  of  the  in- 
finity of  the  streams  of  fivshion  that  extend  through  the  varied 
fabric  of  universal  society.  Still,  the  Parisian  mode  is  quite  dif- 
ferent in  London  or  New-York,  from  what  it  is  in  Paris  itself. 
The  reason  for  this  is  obvious.  There  is  a  philosophy  about 
it.  The  genius  of  a  nation  may  sometimes  be  seen  even  in  what 
is  commonly  termed  so  trivial  an  affair  as  the  cut  of  a  coat.  The 
form  of  a  garment,  aside  from  the  standard  mode,  must  be  adapted 
to  the  style  of  the  wearer,  to  have  any  pretensions  to  beauty. 


108  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WOELD. 


This  principle  is  continually  kept  in  view  bj  the  leading  modistg, 
who  are  not  unfrequently  persons  of  high  intelligence  and  great 
purity  of  taste,  in  such  matters.  Thus  a  garment  fashioned  so  as 
to  be  in  perfect  harmony  Avith  the  light,  graceful,  and  facile 
Parisian,  would  appear  incongruously  odd  upon  the  person  of  an 
unwieldy  and  sturdy  Londoner.  Before  being  in  keeping  with 
the  latter,  it  must  undergo,  so  to  speak,  a  process  of  naturalization. 
In  a  word,  it  must  be  Anglicised.  Hence,  you  never  see  the  true 
Parisian  fashion  out  of  the  capital.  It  is  an  indigenous  plant,  and 
cannot  be  transplanted  without  losing  some  of  the  distinctive 
features  of  the  original. 

Jan.  Vlih.  I  set  off  early  in  the  morning  with  the  view  of  calling 
upon  the  American  minister,  both  to  pay  my  respects  to  the  hon- 
ored representative  of  our  nation,  in  Paris,  and  to  report  myself 
as  an  American  traveller,  designing  to  tarry  a  few  weeks  in  the 
city.  Strangers,  on  their  arrival,  are  expected  thus  to  make  them- 
selves known  to  the  resident  minister  of  their  respective  countries, 
and  it  may  prove  of  advantage  for  them  so  to  do. 

I  took  my  directions  from  my  guide-book.  On  my  way  thither, 
I  passed  the  celebrated  column  of  Napoleon,  in  the  Place  Vend- 
ome.  From  the  summit  of  the  grand  pillar,  a  comprehensive 
panoramic  view  of  the  city  and  its  environs  may  be  had,  and  I 
could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  tarry  here  a  moment,  and  gratify 
my  intense  curiosity  to  look  down  upon  the  world,  in  miniature, 
below.  An  old  soldier,  —  in  the  wars  of  the  Emperor,  —  gave 
me  a  lantern,  and  I  ascended  the  column,  by  an  interior  winding 
staircase  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-six  steps.  The  view  from 
the  top  is  fine,  although  the  monuments  in  the  proximity  are  seen 
upon  a  line  too  horizontal  to  appear  to  the  best  advantage.  As 
the  eye  sweeps  the  horizon,  it  embraces  the  numerous  striking 
edifices,  towers,  and  palaces,  which  adorn  the  capital,  rising  above 


COLUMN  OF  NAPOLEON.  109 


a  confused  ocean  of  roofs  and  houses  of  all  forms  and  sizes,  -with 
all  possible  varieties  of  chimneys,  pipes,  and  flues.  In  the  dis- 
tance, the  eye  rests  upon  the  village  of  Vincennes,  with  its 
chateau  and  forest ;  and  then,  a  little  to  the  left,  on  a  green- 
wooded  hill,  sloping  towards  the  city,  appear  the  tombs  and  monu- 
ments of  Pere  Lachaise,  while  to  the  north,  you  catch  a  view  of 
the  hills,  which  crowd  upon  the  city  in  that  direction. 

The  reader  may  be  moi-e  interested  in  learning  the  design  of 
this  splendid  monument,  and  in  attending  to  its  description,  though  the 
account  be  meagre  and  imperfect.  It  was  erected  to  commemorate  the 
unparalleled  victories  of  Napoleon,  in  the  campaign  of  1805,  from 
the  raising  of  the  camp  at  Boulogne,  to  the  battle  of  Austerlitz. 
Upon  the  capitol  is  inscribed,  3fonument  erected  to  the  Glory  of  the 
Grand  Army,  by  Napoleon  the  Great,  —  and  his  series  of  heroic 
feats  is  sculptured  in  two  hundred  and  seventy-six  bass-reliefs^ 
of  which  the  subjects  are  engraved  underneath,  upon  the  cordon, 
rising  in  a  spiral  direction  to  the  summit  of  the  column.  The 
column  itself  is  of  the  Tuscan  order,  copied  from  Trajan's  pillar 
at  Rome,  but  of  larger  dimensions.  It  has  an  elevation  of  one 
hundred  and  thirty-five  feet,  and  is  surmounted  by  a  colossal 
bronze  statue  of  the  emperor.  The  figure  rests  in  an  easy  pos- 
ture upon  the  right  foot,  with  the  left  free,  and  a  little  advanced. 
The  costume  is  his  ordinary  military  surtout  and  cocked  hat. 
There  is  an  air  of  dignity  and  decision  in  the  attitude,  and  the 
countenance  is  steady  and  benignant,  looking  calmly  down  upon 
the  capital,  reminding  you  that  Napoleon  is  still  the  master-spirit 
of  France.  The  bass-reliefs,  in  bronze,  with  wliich  it  is  covered, 
were  made  out  of  twelve  hundred  pieces  of  cannon  taken  from  the 
Russians  and  Austrians ;  and  the  ministers  of  these  powerful  na- 
tions, as  they  drive  past  in  their  splendid  equipages,  may  well  feel 
a  momentary  abasement,  as  they  glance  at  the  emblems  which  so 

10 


110  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WOELD. 


forcibly  remind  them  of  the  disgrace  of  their  arms  and  humiliation 
of  their  power,  by  a  series  of  victories  unpai'alleled  in  the  history 
of  the  world. 

On  reaching  the  place  designated  in  my  guide  as  the  residence 
of  the  American  minister,  I  made  further  inquiries,  and  following 
the  directions  given,  entered  the  office  of  the  English  ambassador. 
I  was  there  politely  told  that  I  should  find  the  American  minis- 
ter's hotel  on  the  south  side  of  the  Seine,  near  my  own  quarters. 

On  my  way  home,  I  passed  through  the  garden  of  the  Tuileries. 
It  would  require  many  pages  to  give  a  detailed  description  of  thia 
beautiful  enclosure ;  and  then  the  picture  thus  made  would  be 
pale,  indeed,  compared  with  the  original,  —  so  entirely  inadequate 
is  language  to  convey  any  just  notion  to  others  of  what  corresponds 
to  nothing  in  their  experience  with  which  to  form  a  comparison. 
The  garden  is  in  the  form  of  a  parallelogram,  and  comprises  an 
enclosed  space  of  sixty-seven  acres.  It  was  projected  by  Louis 
IV,  and  laid  out  by  the  celebrated  Le  Notre,  whose  genius  is 
strikingly  displayed  in  the  wonderful  harmony  with  which  he  com- 
bined the  varied  elements  and  details  of  this  delectable  spot.  The 
ground  is  laid  out  in  broad  and  neat  walks,  and  angular  beds,  of 
different  size  and  pattern,  variegated  with  trees,  shrubbery  and 
flowers  of  the  choicest  varieties.  Beautiful  circular  basins,  of  dif- 
ferent sizes,  are  pleasingly  interspersed.  They  are  ornamented 
with  elaborate  fountains,  from  which  leap  forth  the  waters  of  the 
Seine,  gleaming  ever  and  anon  in  the  soft  sunshine,  and  then  fall- 
ing in  subdued  spray  upon  the  placid  bosom  of  the  water  below. 
Fishes  fi'om  China  lazily  part  the  limpid  water  beneath ;  while 
upon  its  mirrored  surface  float,  majestically,  cygnets  of  the 
color  of  alabaster,  and  as  tame  as  the  visitors  that  view  them. 
The  whole  space  is  profusely  ornamented  with  antiques,  statues, 
and  vases,  thus  adding  to  the  other  delightful  features  of  the  place 


LIBRARY  OF  ST.  GENEVIEVE.  m 


the  very  grateful  and  elevating  charm  of  classical  association. 
The  whole  space  is  completely  filled  ;  every  point  being  actually 
appropriated,  —  and  yet  amid  the  immense  number  and  variety 
of  objects  almost  crowding  the  entire  enclosure,  there  is  such 
a  simplicity  of  arrangement,  and  symmetry  of  projiortion,  as  to 
relieve  all  monotony.  Every  object  is  so  precisely  in  its  place, 
and  such  exquisite  harmony  pervades  the  entire  effect,  that  the 
eye  is  entirely  satisfied,  and  can  desire  nothing  more  beautiful, 
majestic,  or  perfect,  either  in  the  whole,  or  in  any  of  its  details. 
The  garden  is  open  to  the  public,  and  is  the  favorite  resort  of  the 
Parisian,  as  well  as  of  strangers.  It  adjoins  the  palace  on  the 
north,  and  must  appear  delightfully  pleasing  from  the  windows  of 
the  Chateau.  Even  the  fastidious  taste  of  royalty  could  but  be 
gratified  in  embracing  its  infinite  beauties. 

Spent  the  evening  most  satisfactorily  in  the  room  of  the  vene- 
rable library  of  St.  Genevieve.  It  is  not  so  large  as  some  other 
public  libraries  in  Paris,  containing  only  about  one  hundred  and 
ten  thousand  volumes,  and  two  thousand  manuscripts ;  but  on  ac- 
count of  its  convenient  proximity  to  the  rooms  in  which  are  given 
the  lectures  comprising  the  public  course,  it  is  much  frequented, 
especially  by  the  students  attending  these  lectures.  The  library 
is  open,  and  entirely  Iree  to  the  public,  on  every  day,  I  think,  ex- 
cept Sunday,  from  ten  to  three  during  the  day,  and  in  the  evening 
from  six  to  ten.  So  great  is  the  eagerness,  by  the  habitual  stu- 
dents to  this  library-resort,  to  improve  to  the  utmost  the  golden 
moments,  that  there  was  usually  a  throng  before  the  entrance,  at 
least  fifteen  minutes  before  the  time  of  opening  the  doors.  To 
prevent  annoyance,  they  were  required  to  stand  in  file,  in  a  nar- 
row passage  formed  by  the  wall  of  the  building  and  a  wooden 
railing.  This,  the  French  significantly  term,  making  the  queue. 
AV'hile  waiting  with  half  impatience,  and  an   uneasiness  of  body 


112  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


arising  from  the  cold,  an  occasional  pleasant  ^eif  d' esprit  would  be  let 
off  by  some  mirthful  fellow,  in  whom  the  mercury  had  fallen  so  low 
as  to  disengage  a  latent  spark  from  his  mental  crucible.  The  vivid 
scintillation  would  be  sure  to  ignite  the  closely-pressed  train  of 
embodied  spiritualities,  by  the  keenly  susceptible  force  of  sympa- 
thy, —  when  the  vivid  flashes  of  wit  and  humor,  passing  rapidly 
from  one  to  another,  acting  with  suffused  glow  of  effect  upon  all 
minds,  would,  for  the  moment  at  least,  completely  dissipate  the 
tediousness  of  the  delay.  The  French  students  are  certainly 
pointedly  and  wittily  keen.  The  ammonia  of  their  volatile 
spirits  falls  with  a  peculiar  pungency,  when  vehicled  by  their  pre- 
cise, clear,  and  dulcet  language. 

Students  have  a  tendency  to  the  witty.  The  drill  and  discipline 
they  are  undergomg,  sharpen  the  mind,  and  impart  to  it  a  clearness 
and  vividness  for  comparison,  which  render  some  little  innocent 
indulgence  in  that  way,  almost  indispensable.  Thus,  while  stand- 
ing en  queue,  I  was  more  than  once  irresistibly  provoked  to  a 
laugh,  by  a  sure-directed  pun,  perpetrated  against  some  passer-by 
of  the  humbler  sort.  Occasionally  there  would  be  a  retort  so 
keen,  as  to  show  that  in  all  such  encounters,  there  are  blows  to 
receive,  as  well  as  blows  to  give. 

The  door  opens.  Instantly  the  head  of  the  column  disaj^pears ; 
you  find  yourself  in  movement,  and  soon  pass  through  the  wide 
entrance  leading  into  the  library-room.  As  you  pass  the  portly 
huissier,  or  door-keeper,  who  stands  gaily  decked  with  the  insignia 
of  his  office,  you  bestow  in  turn  your  deferential  salute,  which 
he  receives  with  the  pompous  dignity  of  a  grand  seigneur.  The 
long  hall  comprising  the  interior  of  the  library -room,  has  a  fable 
running  its  entire  length,  around  which  the  company  hastily  but 
noiselessly  seat  themselves.  In  a  moment,  all  is  profound  silence, 
as  if  the  mortal  spirits  present  had  been  borne  off  by  those  of  the 


LIBRARY  OF  ST.  GENEVIEVE.  II3 


departed  dead,  into  realms  of  pure  abstraction.  The  room  is  well 
lighted ;  and,  on  the  table  before  you,  which  is  covered  with  green 
baize,  are  writing  materials  amply  provided  for  your  convenience. 
A  number  of  librarians,  whose  business  it  is  to  keep  the  immense 
number  of  volumes  conveniently  arranged,  and  to  assist  you  to 
any  book  you  may  be  pleased  to  call  for,  may  be  observed  with  a 
sedate  and  thoughtful  air,  gliding  noiselessly  around  in  the  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  room,  pleasurably  intent  in  their  grateful  duties. 
These  gentlemen  are  always  approachable,  give  you  prompt  and 
exphcit  attention,  and  in  their  whole  intercourse  with  you,  evince 
a  classic  ease  of  manner,  and  a  polished  tone  of  mental  expres- 
sion, in  pleasing  harmony  with  the  spiritual  grandeur  of  the  place. 
The  collection  in  this  library  is  so  judiciously  made,  that  you  would 
rarely  be  disappointed  in  finding  a  book  to  aid  you  in  the  investi- 
gation of  a  particular  theme,  although  there  might  be  several 
other  persons  present,  reading  in  different  volumes  upon  the  same 
subject.  It  was  easy  to  observe  that  the  entire  company  present 
were  no  listless  readers,  seeking  to  while  away  the  time  in  mental 
relaxation.  They  appeared  rather  greedily  to  devour  the  rich 
and  abounding  mental  feast  before  them,  and  to  cling  to  the  pass- 
ing moments,  as  if  each  came  laden  with  the  momentous  interest 
of  success  in  life's  career.  Many  were  law  and  medical  students, 
who  were  reading  in  connection  with  the  public  course  of  lectures 
they  were  attending,  —  and  this  previous  investigation  of  the  sub- 
ject, could  not  but  prove  an  excellent  preparation  to  appreciate 
more  fully  the  lecture  of  the  professor,  —  while  the  subject,  clearly 
and  fully  illustrated  in  the  lecture-room,  through  the  inspiring 
tones  of  the  living  teacher,  must  needs  awaken  a  strong  and  dur- 
able interest  in  the  student,  for  thorough  investigation  on  collateral 
subjects.  Added  to  this,  the  wringing  examination  at  the  close  of 
the  course,  which  decides  whether  the  candidate  is  to  receive  the 

10* 


114  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


approbation  of  the  University,  and  be  sent  out  into  the  world  with 
the  commendatory  honors  of  the  highest  authority  in  the  world, 
or  be  rejected,  to  pass  a  life  of  private  mortification,  or  to  make  a 
renewed  struggle  for  the  diploma,  by  a  year  or  two  of  intense  ap- 
plication, must  lend  additional  motives  for  the  highest  effort  in  the 
power  of  man. 

At  an  early  hour  in  the  evening,  a  door  leading  to  a  room  in 
the  second  story  was  thrown  open,  when  there  would  be  something 
of  a  rush  to  share  the  privilege  of  the  books  in  the  reserved  de- 
partment ;  but  I  did  not  leai'n  the  particular  advantage  of  the  ar- 
rangement. 

I  spent  much  of  my  time,  the  first  week  in  Paris,  in  this  de- 
lightful place.  The  wilderness  of  engrossing  objects  which  breaks 
upon  the  mind  of  the  traveller,  with  almost  bewildering  effect, 
when  he  first  takes  up  his  abode  in  the  magnificent  city,  makes 
some  definite  plan  of  observation  absolutely  indispensable,  if  he 
would  use  the  time  to  the  best  advantage.  I  accordingly  spent 
much  of  the  first  week  in  Paris  in  studying  the  plan  of  the  city, 
in  tracing  its  history,  in  making  a  mental  survey  of  the  various 
institutions  and  objects  of  prominent  interest,  and  in  settling  upon 
a  scheme  for  the  examination  of  these,  that  would  use  the  limited 
time  of  my  stay  to  the  best  advantage.  Nor  was  the  week  thus 
spent  misappropriated.  It  rendered  fruitful  the  remaining  time 
in  a  high  degree,  and  had  the  effect  to  crowd  hours  into  minutes. 
It  is,  perhaps,  not  too  much  to  say,  that  if  a  stranger  in  Paris  has 
but  four  weeks  to  tarry  there,  and  would  learn  the  most  that  it  is 
possible  to  do  in  that  time,  that  he  might  profitably  spend  the  first 
week  in  reconnoitring  the  ground,  and  laying  the  plan  of  ar- 
rangement. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

LETTERS  FROM  HOME  —  THE  EFFECT  OF  CONTEMPLATING 
ARIGHT  NOBLE  PUBLIC  EDIFICES  —  BOARDING  SCHOOL — PU- 
PILS OUT  ON  PROMENADE  —  ARC  DE  TRIOMPH  DE  l'eTOILE 
—  MINISTER  OF  PUBLIC  INSTRUCTION  IN  PARIS  —  CIMETIERE 
DU  PERE  LACIIAISE,  THE  PARIS  OF  CEMETERIES  —  VICE  REC- 
TOR   AT    THE    SARBOXNE  —  PANTHEON  —  DESCRIPTION. 

Jan.  \ijth.  It  being  the  Sabbath,  I  determined  to  spend  a  por- 
tion of  the  day  in  a  stroll  through  parts  of  the  city,  to  view  some 
of  the  public  edifices  and  works  of  art.  Not  finding  it  convenient 
to  attend  religious  worship,  this  course  for  the  employment  of  my 
time  very  naturally  suggested  itself,  as  being  somewhat  akin  to 
the  spirit  of  religious  adoration,  and  by  no  means  a  very  indiffer- 
ent substitute  for  ritual  ceremonies.  I  felt,  with  how  much  truth 
I  know  not,  that  it  would  be  no  sacrilege  of  the  day,  leisurely  to 
contemplate  these  sublime  creations  of  man's  genius,  and  yield  to 
the  elevation  of  thought  and  depth  of  sentiment  which  they  are 
Bure  to  inspire.  From  such  high  thoughts,  it  was  natural  to  turn 
to  loftier,  and  to  be  solemnly  impressed  with  the  Infinite  Power 
that  could  thus  breathe  into  humble  mortals  conceptions  so  grand, 
and  powers  of  execution  so  wonderful,  as  these  monuments  imply. 

My  first  course  was  to  the  post-office,  where,  with  a  longing 
heart,  I  hoped  to  find  letters  from  home.  Intelligence  from  absent 
friends,  and  dear  ones,  is  among  the  sweetest  joys  of  life.  But 
when  the  endeared  notes  are  conveyed  in  the  tender  missive, 


116  CRESTS  FEOM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


freshly  breathing  the  holy  incense  of  the  heart's  purest  affection, 
the  joy  is  greatly  heightened.  Nor  is  the  delight  less,  when  the 
happy  recipient  is  a  traveller,  separated  from  the  world  of  his 
heart's  affections  by  many  miles  of  dreary,  pathless  ocean,  and  the 
human  beings  by  which  he  is  surrounded  can  claim  no  relation  to 
his  sympathies,  either  from  the  past  or  the  future.  Letters  from 
home  are  to  the  traveller  in  Europe  the  golden  chain  which  binds 
him  to  what  of  life  is  most  dear.  They  keep  vivid  the  flame 
upon  the  heart's  altar,  and  quicken  the  susceptibilities  for  the  en- 
joyment of  the  beautiful  around.  Their  power  is  tri-fold,  —  first, 
he  glows  in  fond  anticipation  ;  then,  he  devours  the  sentences 
which  unseal  the  fountain-spring  of  affection  ;  afterwards,  he  lives 
upon  the  placid  sea  of  pleasant  memories. 

But  it  is  with  emotions  of  painful  solicitude  that  you  approach 
the  letter-office.  The  chances  of  your  fate  balance  in  the  mind. 
Hope,  fear,  intensely  glowing  anticipation,  and  a  shrinking  dread 
of  ill-news,  by  turns  take  possession  of  your  soul,  and  subject  it 
to  the  agitation  of  a  tempest-tost  sea.  Does  a  letter  await  you, 
or  are  you  destined  to  meet  a  disappointment  so  bitter  as  to  en- 
kindle within  you  feelings  almost  of  ill-will  at  the  cruel  neglect  of 
your  friends  ?  If  a  letter,  what  tidings  will  it  bring?  —  cheering 
news,  and  balmy  sympathy,  or  intelligence  to  rive  your  heart,  and 
shroud  the  mind  in  the  gloom  of  utter  dejection? 

I  turned  away  from  the  office  with  feehngs  that  may  be  im- 
agined by  the  reader,  at  the  disappointment  of  not  finding  a  letter. 
Strolling  along,  until  reaching  the  north-western  limit  of  the  city, 
I  then  crossed  the  Seine  at  that  point,  and  returned  home  quite 
fatigued  with  the  pedestrian  tour.  The  promenade  formed  a  cir- 
cuit of  several  miles.  In  the  course,  I  took  a  glimpse  of  the 
Palais  du  Louvre,  Palais  Royal,  Chateau  de  Tuileries,  Place  de 
la  Concord,  Champs  Elysees,  Champ  de  Mars,  and  Arc  de  Tri- 


PUBLIC  EDIFICES.  117 


omphedel'Etoile.  The  contemplation  of  these  grand  and  mag- 
nificent edifices  cannot  but  exalt  the  sentiments.  They  appeal 
with  force  to  the  reflection,  to  the  imagination.  Erected  by  the 
genius  of  man,  they  are  surviving  and  durable  monuments 
at  once  of  his  power  and  his  weakness ;  of  his  transitory  stay 
upon  earth,  and  his  power  to  reproduce  and  perpetuate  himself 
through  endless  time.  The  millions  that  were  employed  in  pro- 
ducing these  splendid  works  of  art,  are  now,  it  is  true,  mingled 
with  the  dust  which  compose  the  earth  upon  which  the  edifices 
stand ;  still,  their  spirits  live,  as  truly  and  effectually  in  these 
monuments  as  if  now  moving  in  their  clayey  tenements,  amid  the 
vast  waves  of  humanity  that  ceaselessly  surge  the  bosom  of  this 
great  city.  When  we  consider  the  large  amount  of  human  energy 
which  these  costly  buildings  must  have  absorbed,  and  the  toil  and 
deprivation  they  must  have  wrung  from  the  depressed  masses,  the 
question  may  naturally  arise,  whether  this  large  expenditure  of 
the  sinew  of  life  can  be  justified.  They  are  noble  and  beautiful 
objects,  it  will  be  admitted ;  but  has  the  highest  good  of  the  great- 
est number  been  advanced  by  their  erection  ?  Judged  by  the  ele- 
vated standard  of  humanity,  have  they  really  furthered  the  sum 
of  human  happiness  ?  This  question,  I  may  not  attempt  to  an- 
swer ;  but  a  thought  or  two  in  the  connection  may  not  be  inappro- 
priate. If  the  good  of  human  life  consists  solely  in  what  a  man 
eats  and  drinks,  then  the  motives  whicli  led  to  the  construction  of 
these  edifices  cannot  be  justified ;  for  it  is  easy  to  perceive  that 
the  vast  amount  of  labor  required  in  their  erection,  might  have 
been  otherwise  employed  to  augment,  not  a  little,  the  sum  of  the 
comforts  or  luxuries  of  animal  existence.  But  if  life  is  spiritual, 
—  if  the  highest  form  of  existence  is  in  the  most  elevated  and 
noble  thoughts,  —  if  grandeur  of  soul,  purity  of  taste,  and  depth 
of  sentiment,  constitute  the  essential  of  human  enjoyment  here 


118  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

below,  then  the  question  assumes  a  somewhat  different  aspect. 
Taking  this  view,  it  would  be  really  difficult  to  measure  their  in- 
fluence for  good.  No  one  possessing  the  least  susceptibility  to  the 
appreciation  of  the  noble  and  beautiful,  can  gaze  upon  them  in  a 
right  disposition  of  mind,  without  feeling  conscious  of  their  influ- 
ence in  exalting  and  ennobling  his  being.  They  open  his  soul  to 
impressions  of  the  grand  and  lovely,  and  he  leaves  with  a  cast  of 
thought  that  will  tinge  his  character  in  all  the  future.  As  he 
mingles  in  the  ocean  of  human  life,  his  each  act,  however  slightly 
exalted  by  an  enlarged  soul,  multiplied  by  the  acts  of  a  lifetime, 
will  make  an  aggregate  of  salutary  influence  quite  incalculable. 
Let  the  increased  power  thus  derived  for  a  nobler  life,  of  one  in- 
dividual, be  multiplied  by  the  thousands  of  travellers  who  daily 
contemplate  these  buildings,  and  who  bear  away  their  impressions 
to  be  diflfused  like  genial  sunshine  over  the  remote  corners  of  the 
world,  and  we  have  a  still  further  view  of  their  usefulness.  It 
cannot  be  doubted  that  these  edifices  constitute  one  of  several 
means  which  continually  operate,  silently  it  is  true,  but  effectually, 
to  elevate  the  Parisian  to  that  spirituality  of  mind,  and  polish  of 
style,  which  compensate  much  for  the  grosser  ahment  of  life. 
The  power,  too,  of  these  edifices  is  continual.  They  act  like  the 
ceaseless  hand  of  time.  Not  only  will  millions  of  the  present 
generation  of  men  catch  inspirations  from  the  fervor  of  their  mute 
eloquence,  but  the  uncounted  millions  of  mankind  in  all  fu- 
ture time,  will  successively  look  up  to  these  magnificent  monu- 
ments, and  thereby  receive  an  exaltation  of  soul  that  shall  purify, 
and  bless,  for  good. 

In  the  day's  walk,  I  met  several  times,  schools  issuing  from 
their  half-prison  walls,  for  an  airing.  They  were  pupils  of  pri- 
vate boarding  estabhshments,  of  which  there  are  numbers  in 
Paris.     Some  that  I  encountered,  were  schools  of  boys,  others  of 


PUBLIC  AND  PRIVATE  SCHOOLS.  119 


girls.  The  boys  were  uniformly  attired  in  a  rather  stiff  costume, 
prescribed  by  the  rules  of  their  respective  establishments.  They 
marched  in  file,  under  the  direction  of  their  teachers,  with  a  pre- 
cision of  gait  and  primness  of  manner,  that  would  remind  you  of 
soldiers  on  drill,  rather  than  bounding  schoolboys,  letting  ofl'  in 
wild  and  irregular  explosions  the  pent-up  gasses  of  a  week's  con- 
finement. The  schools  of  misses  that  I  met,  were  less  stiffly 
decked,  but  they  were  paraded  in  the  same  lifeless  style.  There 
was  none  of  the  excess  of  youthful  life  and  joyousness,  brimming 
the  eye,  radiating  the  cheek,  and  giving  an  elasticity  of  movement 
so  natural  and  lovely  in  persons  of  their  age.  None  of  the  merry, 
ringing  laugh,  the  artless,  playful  manner,  the  free  gushing  from 
the  pure  heart's  fountain,  which  so  gladdens  the  beholder,  and 
quickens  his  sentiment  of  existence. 

The  advantages  in  Paris  for  pursuing  a  course  of  study,  are 
preeminently  superior;  and  the  private  schools,  surrounded  as 
they  are  by  the  vast  and  magnificent  collections  in  the  several  de- 
partments of  science,  natural  history,  and  art,  and  all  entirely 
free  to  the  students,  must  present  strong  attractions  to  pupils  from 
the  provinces ;  still  I  could  not  but  regard  all  these  glorious  privi- 
leges—  and  most  certainly  they  are  so  —  as  being  purchased  at  a 
price  by  no  means  trivial,  when  losing  the  free  and  invigorating 
air,  and  the  animating  sports  of  country  freedom. 

I  tarried  also  a  brief  hour,  to  contemplate  the  splendid  monu- 
ment of  the  Arc  de  Iriomphe  de  VEtoilc,  and  to  revel  in  the  mag- 
nificent view  afforded  from  its  summit.  The  situation  of  this 
grand  edifice  could  not  have  been  better  chosen.  It  stands  upon 
the  highest  ground  within  the  Paris  basin,  and  can  be  seen  from 
all  quarters  within  and  without,  by  the  long  avenues  that  terminate 
upon  it.  Its  effect  is  the  most  imposing,  perhaps,  on  approaching 
it  from  the  garden  of  the  Tuileries.     You  emerge  from  the  grove 


120  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


of  the  garden  into  the  magnificent  Place  de  la  Concorde,  and 
through  which  your  way  is  uninterrupted  to  the  Avenue  des 
Champs  Elysees,  along  which  you  proceed  between  its  stately  for- 
ests of  a  mile  in  length,  to  the  Triumphal  Arch  at  its  extremity. 
The  ground  gradually  rises  towards  the  edifice  ;  and  when  first 
seen  through  the  vista  of  the  long  and  wide  avenue,  it  springs 
upon  the  mind  in  a  startling  but  pleasing  manner.  Indeed,  Art 
and  Nature  have  conspired  to  give  it  a  happy  location,  and  it  is 
conceded  to  be  far  the  most  stupendous  structure  of  the  kind  ever 
erected,  either  in  ancient  or  modern  times.  Its  cost  exceeded  the 
enormous  sum  of  nine  millions  of  francs. 

The  Arch  was  originally  projected  by  Napoleon,  after  the  bril- 
liant campaign  of  1805,  in  which  at  the  head  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  thousand  men,  in  the  short  space  of  three  months,  he  van- 
quished the  splendid  armies  of  Austria  and  Russia,  and  humbled 
the  pride  of  those  imperious  powers ;  and  it  is  designed  to  com- 
memorate those  gigantic  achievements.  Suspended  at  the  Resto- 
ration, the  work  was  resumed  in  1823,  but  with  an  entirely  differ- 
ent destination  from  its  original.  Charles  X.  would  finish  none  of 
the  monuments  and  public  works  commenced  by  Napoleon.  In- 
deed he  preferred  rather  the  destruction  of  those  already  existing ; 
so  that  this  monument  was  to  be  finished  in  honor  of  the  victories 
of  the  Due  d'  Angouleme  in  Spain.  The  revolution  of  1830,  when 
Charles  was  driven  from  the  throne,  frustrated  this  design,  and 
Louis  Phillippe,  who  succeeded  him,  animated  by  his  love  of  the 
fine  arts,  and  with  his  usual  sagacity,  caused  the  edifice  to  be  com- 
pleted, after  the  original  plan,  and  to  be  made  a  grand  national 
work — a  work  worthy  of  the  genius  and  glory  of  its  founder. 
It  was  finished  in  1836.  It  consists  of  a  single  arch  ninety-six  feet 
in  height,  forty-eight  feet  in  width,  and  seventy -three  feet  in  depth, 
and  of  two  small  transverse  arches.     The  whole  structure  is  one 


ARC  DE  TRIOMPHE.  121 


hundred  and  sixt  j-two  feet  in  height,  one  hundred  and  forty-seven 
in  length,  and  seventy-three  feet  in  depth.  It  has  numerous  colossal 
groups  of  sculpture,  depicting  most  of  the  grand  battles  gained  by 
the  French  in  the  revolutionary  war.  It  stands  quite  separate 
from  the  other  buildings,  affording  an  opportunity  to  be  seen  to  the 
best  advantage. 

The  monument  is  a  fit  emblem  of  the  grand  and  magnificent 
character  of  its  founder.  It  will  serve  to  keep  alive  in  the  nation- 
al heart  the  profound  sentiment  felt  for  the  genius,  splendid  talents, 
and  unparalleled  achievements  of  the  great  captain.  It  will  serve 
continually  to  encircle  his  name  with  a  halo  of  light  so  resplendent 
and  enduring,  as  to  shine  with  undiminished  brilliancy  through 
succeeding  generations  of  men.  The  peasant,  as  he  looks  up  to 
this  monument,  will  have  revived  in  his  breast  the  history  of  the 
glorious  acts  of  the  national  prowess ;  his  soul  will  expand  with 
glowing  recollections,  and  his  sentiment  of  life,  his  love  of  nation- 
ality, his  pride  of  country  will  be  keener,  fuller.  I  would  not  be 
thought  to  encourage  a  spirit  of  war,  and  if  Napoleon  had  no  fur- 
ther claims  to  our  admiration  than  as  having  been  a  warrior  of 
transcendent  genius,  little  might  be  said  in  favor  of  a  monument  to 
perpetuate  the  glorj'  of  his  name ;  but  he  stands  before  us  as  a 
scholar,  statesman,  legislator,  of  consummate  ability ;  as  a  man  who 
was  ever  alive  to  whatever  there  was  of  the  beautiful,  noble,  sub- 
lime, either  in  nature  or  art,  and  whose  profound  genius  was  ever 
active,  in  the  intervals  of  the  engrossing  duties  of  the  eminent  sta- 
tion in  which  fortune  had  placed  him,  to  increase  the  greatness 
and  glory  of  his  country.  This  edifice  will  stand  then  to  kindle 
animating  recollections  whose  influence  will  develop  much  of  the 
great  and  generous  in  human  character. 

In  the  evening,  I  received  a  letter  from  the  Minister  of  Public 
Instruction  in  Paris,  in  which  I  was  made  welcome  to  visit  the 

I  I 


122  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


public  schools  and  institutions  of  the  city  and  Versailles.  The 
letter  advised  me  to  address  myself  to  the  Vice-Rector  of  the 
University  of  Paris  at  the  Sarbonne,  to  whom  the  minister  had 
given  orders  to  facihtate  my  entrance  into  such  institutions  as  I 
might  desire  to  visit.  I  had  called  a  few  days  before  at  the  office 
of  the  public  minister,  but  not  finding  him  within,  I  left  my  re- 
quest with  his  secretary,  who  received  me  with  due  pohteness,  in- 
spected my  letters,  and  promised  me,  with  the  utmost  cordiality, 
all  necessary  assistance.  Perceiving  that  I  hesitated  a  little  in 
speaking,  he,  either  to  relieve  my  embarrassment  or  to  try  his 
ability  at  speaking  English,  commenced  attempting  to  converse 
with  me  in  my  own  language  ;  but  with  all  due  humility,  I  must 
say  that  I  did  not  conceive  that  he  mended  the  matter  a  great  deal. 
Although  it  was  evident  he  possessed  a  fine  education,  yet  he 
succeeded  quite  indifferently  to  express  himself  in  the  English. 
The  minister  of  public  instruction  ranks  equal  with  the  ministers 
of  state,  and  takes  the  title  of  Grand  Master  of  the  University. 
He  has  in  his  department  the  University,  the  Institute,  the  Acad- 
emies, and  learned  societies,  the  establishment  of  public  in- 
struction, the  libraries,  the  museums,  and  scientific  collections. 
The  University  of  France  is  composed  of  twenty-seven  Acad- 
emies, governed  each  by  a  rector. 

Jan.  22c?.  It  being  the  Christian  Sabbath,  after  attending 
Divine  worship  in  the  morning,  I  made  a  visit  to  the  famous 
cemetery,  Pere  Lachaise  ;  —  no  spot  could  have  been  better  fit- 
ted to  awaken  feelings  in  harmony  with  the  religious  character  of 
the  day. 

The  wide  avenue  leading  to  the  entrance  of  this  city  of  tombs, 
was  lined,  on  either  side,  with  undertakers'  shops,  sadly  displaying 
ready-made  coffins,  wreaths  of  evergreens,  and  other  lugubrious 
emblems  of  the  departed.     This  introductory  scene  was  indeed 


A  GROUP  OF  MOURNERS.  123 


Striking ;  but  it  was  by  no  means  congenial  to  the  feelings.     It 
constituted  a  ghastly  portal  to  the  beautiful  edifice  within. 

Proceeding  along  before  me  was  a  hearse,  with  a  small  train  of 
attendants  and  mourners.  The  humble  procession,  with  slow  and 
saddened  movement,  entered  the  spacious  enclosure  of  the  ceme- 
tery, and  halted  before  a  narrow  and  unpretending  grave,  in  that 
part  of  the  vast  enclosure  appropriated  to  the  burial  of  the  poor. 
The  space  thus  set  off  is  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  slope,  upon 
which  are  the  adorned  grounds  for  the  more  fortunate  classes, 
and  comprises  a  large  area,  as  it  needs  must,  to  hold  the 
million  poor.  It  furnishes  room  for  interment,  however,  only  to 
the  citizens  of  five,  out  of  the  twelve  municipal  arrondissements 
of  Paris.  The  ground  here  is  flat,  unadorned,  and  unvariegated. 
Not  a  slab  marks  the  limits  of  the  graves,  which  are  ranged  in 
rows  as  if  the  object  were  to  crowd  into  the  space  as  many  bodies 
as  possible.  This  bare  and  desolate  aspect  serves,  however,  to 
render  more  marked  the  beauty  of  the  grounds  further  on. 

The  undertaker  and  his  assistant  now  pulled  with  a  rude  hand 
the  unpainted  coffin  out  of  the  rough  vehicle,  —  thrust  it  imcere- 
moniously  into  the  shallow  grave,  then  tumbled  upon  it  the  frozen 
dirt  in  a  manner  as  devoid  of  feeling  as  of  sentiment.  They  were 
evidently  fully  accustomed  to  the  thing.  The  repetition  of  the 
act  had  completely  effaced  from  their  souls  whatever  of  awe  or 
.  sympathy  such  scenes  naturally  inspire.  What  induration  of  the 
human  heart,  that  can  be  so  easily  deprived  of  those  susceptibilities 
glowingly  implanted  there  by  the  hand  of  nature  !  How  sad,  that 
the  stern  duties  of  life  should  ever  blunt  the  tender  sensibilities 
of  the  soul ! 

Quite  a  different  scene  was  presented  by  the  little  group  of 
mourners  standing  by  the  grave.  A  man  bowed  with  years,  a 
woman  of  nearly  the  same  ago,  and  a  young  man  and  girl  who 


124  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


resembled  each  other  enough  to  be  a  brother  and  a  sister,  stood 
wringing  their  hands  in  mute  agony.  The  bitterness  of  their  spirit 
was  but  too  clearly  depicted  on  their  thin  features.  They  were 
meagrely  clad,  and  their  dwindled  forms,  wasted  with  penury  and 
protracted  toil,  showed  plainly  that  they  belonged  to  the  humblest 
class,  and  that  their  lot  in  life  was,  in  consequence,  surrounded  with 
unremitting  dreariness.  But  nothing  had  been  able  to  dim  the  fires 
of  their  affection  for  the  departed.  These  had  evidently  burned 
as  intensely  under  the  dampening  influences  of  their  depressed 
condition,  as  if  fanned  by  the  genial  gales  of  easy  life.  Indeed, 
cast  off  from  the  distracting  and  weakening  influences  of  a  luxu- 
rious state,  the  natural  tie  of  sympathy  had  been  drawn  all  the 
closer,  and  deprived  of  the  consolations  of  philosophy  which  edu- 
cation brings,  their  anguish  was  thus  rendered  the  more  intense. 

I  now  pursued  my  way  slowly  up  the  hill,  between  rows  of  tombs, 
beautifully  shaded  with  trees,  while  the  turf,  green  even  at  this 
season,  addressed  the  eye  most  gi'atefully.  From  the  little  chapel 
on  its  summit,  my  eye  rested  for  a  moment  on  the  dim  spires  and 
domes  of  the  city,  whose  roar  of  life  dwindled  to  a  murmur.  Forty 
thousand  tombs  and  mausoleums,  with  their  pyramids,  obelisks, 
and  urns,  rising  far  and  wide  above  the  cypresses  and  cedars,  re- 
vealed the  extent  of  this  splendid  cemetery,  —  the  finest  of  the 
Paris  cemetei'ies,  and  perhaps  of  the  world.  No  site  near  the 
city  presents  aspects  more  picturesque  or  varied ;  no  points  of 
view  more  extensive,  rich,  or  diversified.  It  is  situated  on  the 
flank  and  summit  of  the  most  eastern  of  the  hills  overlooking 
Paris  towards  Charonne,  formerly  called  Mont-Louis.  A  sad 
feature  in  the  picture,  was  the  slope  of  the  hill  allotted  to  the  poor, 
where  countless  numbers  of  black  crosses  came  up  in  dismal  array 
to  embitter  the  sentiment  of  sweet  melancholy  that  seizes  one 
here. 


TOMBS  AND  MONUMENTS.  125 


The  grounds  formerly  belonged  to  a  community  of  Jesuits,  of 
whom  Pere  Lachaise,  confessor  of  Louis  XIV,  was  superior.  It 
was  converted  into  a  cemetery  by  an  order  of  Napoleon.  Brong- 
niart,  to  whom  the  arrangement  of  the  grounds  was  intrusted,  ac- 
compUshed  his  task  with  remarkable  taste  and  skill.  No  one  can 
wander  through  Pere  Lachaise  without  being  impressed  with  the 
truth,  that  no  ordinary  artist  presided  over  its  arrangements.  The 
natural  features  that  could  be  made  subservient  to  the  main  de- 
sign, were  retained.  Cypresses  are  thickly  interspersed  amid  the 
shrubbery,  winding  paths  laid  out  in  every  direction  ;  and  along 
their  borders,  and  among  the  shrubbery,  are  endless  varieties  of 
flowers.  These  varied  features  of  beauty  and  grandeur,  so  exten- 
sive and  magnificent,  while  they  breathe  into  the  soul  a  solemn 
calm,  elevate  the  sentiments  and  induce  a  frame  of  mind  rather 
pleasurable  than  otherwise. 

The  tombs  and  monuments  display  a  great  variety  of  taste  and 
style.  Many  of  them  are  pure,  chaste,  and  appropriate  ;  while,  of 
many  others,  not  much  can  be  said  in  their  favor.  ]VIany  of  the 
tombs  are  miniature  chapels,  in  which  the  survivors  often  worship. 
These  may  be  often  found  furnished  with  chairs,  crucifixes,  lamps, 
tapers,  etc.  Flowers  are  generally  kept  planted  around  tlie  tombs, 
or  kept  in  vases  and  pots  upon  them,  and  regularly  watered  by 
persons  employed  for  the  purpose.  Wreaths  of  evergreens,  or 
immortelles,  as  the  French  call  them,  may  be  seen  upon  the  tombs, 
placed  there  by  the  hand  of  affection ;  and  the  number  of  these, 
and  their  freshness,  afford  indication  of  how  the  memory  of  the 
slumbering  dead  is  cherished  by  their  surviving  friends.  An 
interesting  feature  were  the  epitaphs  and  inscriptions  upon  the 
tombs.  They  were  generally  brief  and  appropriate,  revealing 
some  quality  of  the  deceased,  and  many  of  them  were  exceedingly 
tender  and  beautiful. 

11* 


126  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


But  the  chief  interest  of  Pere  Lachaise  is  found  in  the  great 
names  that  are  inscribed  on  its  monuments,  —  names  that  have 
agitated  the  world,  and  which  the  world  will  ever  remember. 
There  repose  in  the  severe  dignity  of  death  the  remains  of  such 
immortal  spirits  as  La  Place,  La  Fontaine,  Moliere,  Talma,  De- 
liUe,  Holland,  and  a  host  of  spirits  equally  distinguished,  though 
perhaps  not  so  well  known  to  most  American  readers.  There  are, 
also,  Lefebvre,  Massena,  Kellerman,  Davoust,  and  Suchet,  illus- 
trious marshals  of  France,  and  also  —  the  spot  enclosed  with  iron 
railing  —  of  Ney,  the  "  bravest  of  the  brave." 

One  of  the  most  striking  monuments  is  that  of  Abelard  and 
Heloise,  the  ill-fated  lovers,  whose  genius  and  misfortune  have 
handed  down  their  names  to  posterity.  Its  arched  roof  is  sup- 
ported by  fourteen  columns,  and  under  it  is  the  figure  of  Abelard, 
in  a  recumbent  posture,  with  the  hands  joined  upon  the  breast,  — 
and  by  his  side,  that  of  Heloise.  The  grass  around  the  tomb  was 
worn  by  the  tread  of  pilgrims,  and  devoted  hands  had  kept  fresh 
the  garlands  above  their  marble  effigies. 

The  magnificent  mausoleum  of  Madame  Demidoff,  is  justly  ad- 
mired, but  not  more  so  than  the  little  tombstone  of  Madame  Cot- 
tin,  the  spiritual  author  of  Matilda. 

The  tomb  of  La  Place  is  an  obelisk  of  white  marble,  sur- 
mounted by  an  urn,  with  the  inscriptions,  Mecanique  Celeste—^ 
Systtme  du  Monde  —  Probabilitts.  There  is  also  a  scroll  sculp- 
tured with  the  sun  and  planets. 

Selecting  an  elevated  site,  I  remained  some  time  in  a  reclined 
posture,  enrapt  with  the  solemn  beauty  of  the  scene.  Before  me 
is  the  densely  thronged  city,  stretching  to  illimitable  view,  and 
throbbing  with  intense  life  and  animation ;  while  around  me  repose 
in  solemn  grandeur,  the  ashes  of  an  innumerable  company  of  de- 
parted spirits,  who,  but  a  little  while  ago,  were  moving  in  all  the 


SCHOOLS. -VICE-RECTOR.  127 

pride  and  glory  of  life.  There,  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun,  soft- 
ened by  the  smoky  atmosphere  which  rises  from  the  bosom  of  the 
city,  gleam  from  a  thousand  domes,  spires  and  turrets  ;  here,  the 
sighing  zephyrs,  as  they  pass  along  the  dark  foliage,  imprint  a 
saddened  melancholy  upon  the  rising  emotions.  I  stand  upon  the 
border  of  two  worlds,  and  the  present  real,  and  the  future  un- 
known, rise  before  the  mind,  —  the  one  to  the  sense,  in  distinct 
outline,  the  other  to  the  imagination,  in  shadowy,  but  pleasing 
form.  Du  Pere  Lachaise  is  truly  the  Paris  of  Cemeteries.  It 
partakes  of  the  genius,  the  taste,  and,  I  might  say,  of  the  vanity 
of  the  great  Parisian  world. 

I  left  the  cemetery,  as  might  be  -  supposed,  in  a  pensive  mood ; 
and,  after  crossing  the  boulevard,  which  was  thronged  with  people 
apparently  in  the  happiest  disposition,  and  the  Barricre  du  TrOne, 
a  spot  memorable  for  its  affecting  associations  with  other  interest- 
ing parts  of  the  city,  I  reached  my  room,  not  a  little  fatigued, 
where  the  evening  was  spent  in  meditative  reading. 

Monday,  Jan.  2i(h.  Proceeded  to  the  Sarbonne,  the  head  quar- 
ters of  the  schools,  to  present  my  letter  from  the  Minister  of  Pub- 
lic Instruction,  to  the  Vice-Rectoi*,  and  to  receive  from  the  latter 
further  instructions  to  facilitate  my  visit  to  the  schools.  After 
some  inquiiy,  I  found  the  place,  and  was  shown  into  the  reception- 
room  for  strangers.  Remaining  here  for  some  time,  and  the  gen- 
tleman not  appearing,  I  was  invited  to  proceed  further,  —  when, 
in  traversing  a  hall,  we  accidentally  encountered  Monsieur  the 
Vice-Rector,  accompanied  by  another  gentleman.  lie  was  passing 
hurriedly  along,  with  both  hands  full  of  papers.  After  a  word  of 
explanation,  he  remembered  the  object  of  my  visit,  from  the  orders 
received  of  the  Minister,  and  at  once  comprehended  the  scope 
of  my  design.  Leading  the  way,  he  conducted  me  to  a  room, 
begged  me  to  be  seated,  and  then  asked  some  further  questions,  to 


128  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


get  precisely  at  what  I  wanted.  Promising  to  send  me  at  my 
lodgings  a  programme  comprising  a  few  of  every  grade  of  the 
schools,  and  such  as  would  present  the  most  interest  to  a  stranger, 
I  took  my  leave,  well  satisfied  with  the  interview.  Indeed,  noth- 
ing could  be  more  simple  and  aifable  than  were  his  manner  and 
conversation,  —  and  they  were  such  as  to  put  you  at  once  per- 
fectly at  your  ease.  There  was  nothing  of  the  imperious  dignity 
which  is  often  met  with  in  officials,  so  appalling  to  a  stranger,  — 
and  which,  instead  of  conferring  lustre  on  character,  are  only  the 
index  of  a  vain  and  narrow  mind.  He  did  not  evince  even  the 
air  and  grace  common  to  the  French,  and  might  as  easily  have 
been  taken  for  an  American  as  a  Frenchman,  —  so  thorough  a 
leveller  of  character  are  science  and  literature.  Scientific  and 
literary  men  of  all  countries,  resemble  each  other.  The  common 
world  of  thought,  of  sentiment,  of  feeling,  in  which  they  move, 
dissipates  local  differences,  and  assimilates  them  in  character  and 
manners.  They  each,  by  turns,  attempted  to  speak  in  English ; 
but,  it  must  be  said,  that  they  succeeded  but  poorly,  —  and  yet  I 
was  assured  that  they  were  both  distinguished  scholars,  and  were, 
in  the  common  acceptation  of  that  term,  familiar  with  the  modern 
languages.  But  the  truth  is,  that,  with  some  exceptions,  it  is  no 
easy  matter  for  an  adult  to  learn  to  speak  a  foreign  language  with 
idiomatic  ease  and  accuracy,  and  it  is  particularly  difficult  in  the 
case  of  the  English  in  the  mouth  of  a  Frenchman. 

On  my  return,  I  looked  into  the  splendid  edifice  of  the  Pan- 
theon. I  had  visited  it  more  than  once  before,  and  went  to  see  it 
many  times  after.  There  are  some  works  of  art  of  which  a  single 
view  or  examination  will  not  satisfy  the  mind.  The  feeUng  which 
their  presence  awakens,  is  so  ennobling  and  mild,  as  to  beget  a 
desire  for  the  repetition  of  the  pleasure.  Of  this  kind,  is  the 
noble  Pantheon.     It  is  doubtless  less  rich  and  magnificent  than 


THE  PANTHEON  AT  PARIS.  129 


several  other  public  edifices  in  Paris,  and  has  fewer  historical  as- 
sociations, and  contains  less  works  of  art,  to  recommend  it ;  still, 
there  were  none  that  I  visited  oftener,  or  received  more  real  plea- 
sure in  beholding.  As  you  gaze  upon  it,  the  mind  is  at  once  ele- 
vated, and  an  inspiration  seizes  you,  that  imparts  a  glowing  exist- 
ence. The  English  critics  observe  that  the  structure  is  inferior  in 
size  and  composition  to  St.  Paul's  in  London,  which  is  all  very 
true  ;  stiU,  to  my  uncultivated  taste,  the  edifice  is  more  pleasing 
and  admirable.  It  is  conceded  to  be  a  work  of  great  merit,  — 
the  general  proportions  being  fine,  and  possessing  a  rare  degree  of 
grace  and  elegance  in  the  outline,  as  well  as  grandeur  and  sim- 
plicity in  the  design.  It  stands  on  elevated  ground,  clear  of  other 
buildings,  so  as  to  be  seen  to  good  advantage ;  and  as  you  emerge 
from  one  of  the  narrow  lanes  of  the  twelfth  arrondissement,  the 
majestic  portico  breaks  suddenly  upon  the  view  with  splendid 
effect.  It  is  composed  of  twenty-two  fluted  columns,  each  sixty 
feet  in  height,  supporting  a  triangular  pediment  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  broad  by  twenty-four  in  width,  in  which  is  a  sculp- 
tured composition,  by  David,  representing  the  genius  of  France 
(a  colossal  figure  fourteen  feet  in  height),  surrounded  by  the  great 
men  of  the  nation.  On  the  frieze  beneath  is  insci-ibed  in  gold  let- 
ters :  Au  grands  hommes,  la  patrie  reconnaissante.  The  plan  of 
the  church  is  a  Greek,  or  equilateral  cross,  the  exterior  having  no 
•windows,  and  being  ornamented  only  by  a  frieze  and  cornice.  1\\ 
the  interior  a  gallery  and  colonnade  line  the  nave  and  transepts  on 
both  sides,  forming  so  many  smaller  naves  and  aisles.  Semicircu- 
lar windows  rise  above  the  colonnades,  throwing  a  strong  light 
into  all  parts  of  the  building.  From  the  centre  of  the  cross  rises 
a  dome  two  hundred  and  eighty-two  feet  in  height,  the  lower  j)art 
of  which  is  encircled  by  a  Corinthian  peristyle  of  thirty-two  col- 
umns, each  thirty-six  feet  in  height.  The  total  length  of  the  Pan- 


130  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


theon,  including  the  portico,  is  three  hundred  and  fifty-two  feet ; 
interior  length,  from  east  to  west,  two  hundred  and  ninety-five 
feet ;  length  of  transept,  two  hundred  and  sixty-five  feet ;  uniform 
breadth,  one  hundred  and  four  feet.  The  edifice  is  in  imitation 
of  the  Pantheon  at  Rome.  As  you  enter,  the  mind  is  instantly 
impressed  with  the  air  of  boldness,  lightness,  and  grace,  which  ap- 
pears to  pervade  the  entire  interior.  From  this  remark  must  be 
abated  the  slight  defect  arising  from  the  substitution  of  four 
grouped  columns  at  the  angles  of  the  meeting  of  the  transepts  to 
sujiport  better  the  uumense  weight  of  the  dome,  instead  of  sepa- 
rate graceful  ones ;  and  also  for  the  substitution  of  four  enormous 
pillars  for  twelve  columns,  in  the  second  cupola ;  but,  by  this 
means,  the  artist  has  succeeded  in  imparting  to  the  edifice  perfect 
solidity.  Over  the  centre  of  the  pavement  of  the  church,  rise 
three  concentric  domes,  built  one  within  the  other.  Through  an 
opening  in  the  lower  one,  perhaps  twenty  feet  in  diameter,  may 
be  seen  a  magnificent  fresco-painting  on  the  concave  ceiling  of  the 
second,  quite  two  hundred  feet  above  the  pavement.  In  the  cen- 
tre of  the  dome,  the  sun  himself  seemed  to  send  forth  living  pen- 
cils of  light,  illumining  the  entire  pavilion.  In  the  fullest  blaze 
of  light  appears  the  name  of  God  in  Hebrew  characters ;  Avhile 
in  the  midst  of  the  rays,  strongly  illuminated,  appears  vividly  the 
painting  designed  to  represent  the  apotheosis  of  St.  Genevieve, 
the  patron  saint  of  Paris,  who  was  buried  here  in  512,  in  a  church 
built  on  the  spot  by  Clovis.  This  grand  painting  was  executed  by 
M.  Gros,  —  and  the  genius  of  the  artist  has  seized  admirably  the 
appropriate  character  for  each  personage  of  the  group,  which  he 
has  united  in  the  immense  painting.  The  Saint  is  placed  in  the 
most  elevated  spot  of  the  composition,  and  is  represented  as  a 
shepherdess  dressed  in  white.  Everything  breathes  a  spirit  of 
happiness  and  immortality.   It  is  no  longer  a  simple  human  being 


PAINTINGS  IN  THE  PANTHEON.  131 


that  you  see,  but  an  air  of  celestial  existence  pervades.  By  hig 
side  are  small  angels  scattering  flowers.  The  images  of  Louis 
XVI,  of  the  queen  of  Louis  XVII,  break  forth,  surrounded  with 
celestial  glory.  Underneath,  the  most  illustrious  princes  of  each 
dynasty  are  represented  before  the  Saint.  Clovis  may  be  recog- 
nized as  a  savage  hero,  by  traits  fit  for  such  a  personage.  The 
beauty  of  St.  Clotilda  is  greatly  to  be  admired.  She  is  a  queen 
whose  holy  aspect  commands  admiration  and  respect.  The  altars 
of  paganism  are  falling  before  them.  Charlemagne  bears  a  lofty, 
heroic  raien,  and  in  his  eyes,  and  even  in  his  carriage,  shines  forth 
a  genius  which  places  him  far  in  advance  of  his  century.  Angels 
are  presenting  the  cross  to  the  Saxons,  who  received  the  light  of 
faith  under  his  reign.  Louis  and  queen  Margaret  of  Florence 
are  upon  their  knees,  from  whom  beams  forth  a  gentle  piety.  Near 
the  king,  are  two  standards  of  the  cross,  symbolizing  the  two  cru- 
sades. Louis  XVIII,  and  St.  Genevieve  complete  the  picture. 
This  splendid  work  of  art  cannot  be  seen  to  advantage  from  the 
pavement  of  the  church,  but  from  the  balcony  around  the  superior 
edge  of  the  first  cupola,  a  distinct  and  beautiful  view  may  be 
had. 

Besides  the  above  paintmg,  there  are  four  allegorical  paintings, 
on  the  pendentives  of  the  dome,  in  the  form  of  spherical  triangles, 
over  the  comer  of  the  nave.  They  represent  France,  Death, 
Justice,  and  Glory,  embracing  Napoleon.  The  effect  of  these  is 
very  impressive,  but  1  shall  attempt  no  description  of  them. 

There  were,  also,  on  exhibition  in  the  Pantheon,  copies  of  the 
distinguished  paintings  seen  in  the  Vatican  at  Rome,  entitled  the 
Loges  and  Stanzas.  As  Time  was  making  sad  inroads  upon  these 
splendid  paintings,  in  1835  M.  Thiers,  then  Prime  Minister  of 
France,  conceived  the  noble  idea  of  wresting  tlie  Loges  from  ob- 
livion, and  having  them  to  ornament  the  Pantheon.     The  work 


132  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


was  confided  to  Messrs.  Paul  and  Raymond  Baize,  under  the  di- 
rection of  their  master,  M.  Ingres.  Later,  in  1840,  M.  the  Count 
du  Chatel,  Minister  of  the  Interior,  employed  the  same  artists  to 
make  copies  of  the  Stanzas.  The  artists  completed  their  work, 
after  twelve  years  of  assiduous  application. 

The  Stanzas  comprise  eight  large  pictures.  They  are  styled 
the  frescos  of  Raphael,  and  were  originally  painted  in  the  halls 
of  the  Vatican,  under  the  direction  of  Pope  Julius  II. 

Some  idea  of  these  grand  paintings  may  be  obtained  by  an  enu- 
meration of  their  subjects.  They  are  entitled  respectively :  — 
Theology,  or  the  Dispute  of  the  Holy  Sacrament;  Philosophy, 
or  the  School  of  Athens ;  Poetry,  or  Parnassus ;  The  Mass  of 
Balsena;  The  Burning  of  Bourg;  St.  Peter  in  Prison;  Helio- 
dore  driven  from  the  Temple ;  and,  Attila  repulsed  by  St.  Leo. 
A  fuU  description  of  them  cannot,  of  course,  be  attempted  in  this 
work.  As  a  specimen,  however,  I  will  subjoin  a  brief  account  of 
the  second  in  the  series,  viz :  Philosophy,  or  the  School  of  Athens. 
The  place  of  the  scene  is  upon  the  steps  of  a  magnificent  temple, 
whose  beautiful  proportions  would  alone  suffice  to  prove  that  Ra- 
phael was  an  admirable  architect,  as  well  as  a  sublime  painter. 
Towards  the  top  of  the  stairs,  in  the  centre  of  the  composition, 
are  Aristotle  and  Plato,  teaching  philosophy  in  the  midst  of  their 
disciples.  Lower  down,  at  the  left,  is  Diogenes  the  cynic,  care- 
lessly reclining  upon  the  steps.  On  the  other  side,  still  lower 
down,  is  Archimedes,  under  the  traits  of  Bramante,  tracing  a 
geometrical  figure.  Near  Archimedes,  in  a  kneeling  posture,  is 
the  duke  of  Manton,  the  friend  of  Raphael.  In  other  parts  of 
the  composition  are,  Zoroaster  standing,  holding  in  his  hand  a 
globe ;  Raphael  himself,  with  a  black  cap  ;  and  le  Perngin,  his 
master.  On  the  other  side  of  the  picture,  towards  the  centre,  is 
Euclid,  in  meditation,  seated,  and  leaning  upon  his  elbow.   Higher 


TOMBS  AXD  STATUES.  133 


up,  Socrates  explaining  to  Alcibiades  the  theor}--  of  numbers. 
Below  this  group,  Pythagoras,  surrounded  by  his  disciples.  Be- 
hind, leaning  against  a  pilaster,  Epicurus,  with  his  head  crowned 
with  leaves. 

The  Loges,  which  form  a  continuation  of  fifty-two  pictures,  re- 
present the  principal  episodes  of  the  Old  Testament,  since  the 
creation  of  the  world.  The  Birth  of  Jesus  Christ,  The  Baptism, 
and  The  Lord's  Supper,  complete  this  series  of  composition.  The 
originals  of  these,  in  fresco,  are  placed  in  the  vaults  of  the  galle- 
ries in  the  Vatican  at  Rome. 

The  Pantheon  is  intended  to  be  the  Westminster  Abbey  of 
France ;  and  in  the  vaults  beneath  the  edifice,  are  the  remains  of 
the  mighty  dead.  This  will,  indeed,  be  a  fit  resting-place.  It  is 
divided  into  small  apartments,  with  arched  roofs ;  and  so  nume- 
rous are  they,  as  to  be  quite  labyrinthian.  Without  a  guide,  one 
would  find  it  difficult  to  make  his  way  to  them  all,  —  and  when 
fairly  in,  not  easy  to  thread  his  way  out.  I  passed  down,  in  compa- 
ny with  several  others  ;  but  we  were  hurried  along  so  hastily,  and 
the  explanations  made  by  the  guide  with  such  monotonous  rapidity, 
as  to  convey  little  edification  or  delight.  There  were  the  sarcophagi 
of  Rousseau  and  Voltaire,  whose  memory  is  cherished  by  the 
French,  next  to  that  of  Napoleon.  Over  the  tomb  of  Voltaire 
was  his  marble  statue,  bearing  the  same  facetious  expression  as 
the  one  seen  in  Rouen.  As  I  have  observed  before,  there  is 
something  in  the  expression  of  this  face,  so  spiritually  sarcastic, 
and  withal  possessing  an  air  of  so  much  mockery,  as  to  cause  the 
beholder  to  shrink  back  with  awe.  Here,  too,  is  the  tomb  of 
Souflrlot,  the  architect  of  the  church,  who  is  said  to  have  commit- 
ted suicide  on  learning  the  possibility  that  the  edifice  which  stands 
over  the  catacombs,  might  fall  in.  The  distinguished  Lagrange 
also  reposes  here  in  the  majesty  of  death.  The  bodies  of  some 
12 


134  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


are  interred  with  their  friends,  while  their  hearts  are  deposited 
here  in  sculptured  urns. 

In  the  afternoon,  called  at  the  office  of  the  American  consul. 
His  secretary  treated  me  with  all  due  kindness,  and  stated  that 
letters  had  been  received  for  me  ;  but  Mr.  Balch,  not  knowing  of 
me,  after  having  detained  them  some  time,  and  no  one  calling,  had 
sent  them  back  to  the  post-office.  There  is  nothing  gained,  in 
general,  in  addressing  letters  to  the  care  of  the  American  consul, 
in  Paris,  —  and  it  is  a  source  of  some  annoyance  to  him.  As  the 
postage  cannot  be  paid  in  advance,  the  letters  which  are  sent  to 
him,  and  are  not  called  for,  burden  him  with  the  expense  of  post- 
age, which  is  quite  an  item  in  France.  Besides,  letters  would  be 
just  as  safe  in  the  post-office,  and  can  be  had  at  any  time  by  call- 
ing for  them.  It  is  only  necessary  to  say,  post  restante,  when  they 
will  remain  until  called  for ;  otherwise,  they  may  be  sent  to  your 
rooms,  and,  by  mistake,  lost. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

PUBLIC  SCHOOLS  —  MONSIEUR  LEFEBVRE  —  ORDER  AND  PRECISION 
OF  THE  SCHOOL  —  CORPORAL  PUNISHMENT  PROHIBITED  —  MODF. 
OF  TEACHING  THE  ALPHABET DRAWING SINGING  —  ADVAN- 
TAGE OF  THE  SYSTEM  —  ITS  DEFECTS — MUNICIPAL  SCHOOL 
FRANCAIS  —  THE  PRINCIPAL  AND  HIS  PROFESSOR  —  PLAN  OF 
THE  SCHOOL  —  PREPARATORY  DEPARTMENT  —  NOTRE  DAME  DE 
LORETTE. 

Having  received  the  promised  credentials  from  Mons.  C , 

Vice-rector  a  la  Sarbonne,  consisting  of  a  list  of  such  schools  as  it 
■was  thought  would  be  most  interesting  to  me,  —  with  a  letter 
of  recommendation  to  the  several  directors  and  principals,  and  a 
general  order  for  my  free  admission  to  such  establishments  as  I 
might  wish  to  inspect,  I  set  off  for  the  nearest  school,  indicated  on 
my  programme,  that  of  Monsieur  Lefebvre,  situated  in  Rue  du 
Bac.  It  is  one  of  the  Communal  Schools  of  Mutual  Instruction, 
for  boys,  and  the  tuition  is  free.  It  is  composed  of  two  hundred 
and  forty  pupils,  between  the  ages  of  six  and  twelve,  who  are  of 
the  poorer  classes  of  the  Parisian  population.  They  are  taught 
here  the  elements  of  reading,  writing,  grammar,  arithmetic,  sing- 
ing, and  drawing.  One  master  presides,  assisted  by  a  monitor, 
and  ten  sub-monitors.  The  sub-monitors  are  selected  from  the 
advanced  classes  of  the  school,  and  officiate  by  turns,  serving,  often, 
not  longer  than  one  day  at  a  time.  The  business  of  these  latter 
is  to  drill  the  classes  over  whom  they  are  placed ;  in  doing  which 


136  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


they  pursue  a  set  and  undeviating  mode  of  procedure,  as  they  had 
previously  been  taught  by  the  principal,  or  director,  as  he  is  called. 
For  this  purpose  the  class  of"  pupils  that  are  to  officiate  as  moni- 
tors for  the  day,  meet  with  the  principal  in  the  morning,  from 
eight  to  ten  o'clock,  before  the  assembling  of  the  school. 

The  room,  which  is  on  the  second  story,  is  of  convenient  size, 
and  quite  comfortable,  being  high  in  the  walls,  well  open  to  the 
light,  and  amply  provided  with  means  of  ventilation,  although 
possessing  no  claim  to  superior  beauty  or  elegance.  It  is  duly 
furnished  with  black-boards,  and  the  walls  are  hung  with  maps 
and  cards,  on  which  are  traced  geometrical  diagrams.  Plates,  on 
which  are  engraved  brief,  but  appropriate  maxims  and  moral 
sentiments,  are  also  suspended  from  the  walls.  I  noticed  several, 
quoted  from  the  writings  of  our  own  Washington  and  Franklin,  — 
names  scarcely  less  revered  in  France  than  in  the  United  States. 
The  seats  and  forms  were  of  a  length  to  admit  some  dozen  pupils 
at  each,  with  room  to  pass  behind.  They  are  graduated  in  height 
to  the  size  of  the  pupils,  who  are  seated  in  them  in  strict  con- 
formity to  this  condition.  The  school,  when  thus  seated,  presents 
a  beautifully  uniform  aspect. 

The  principal  gives  no  particular  instruction,  himself,  in  the 
school-room ;  his  business  being  rather  to  superintend  the  general 
government  of  the  school,  and  give  direction  to  the  changes  of 
the  classes.  Sitting  in  his  chair,  with  a  tin  whistle  he  directs 
the  movement  of  the  school  with  as  much  ease  and  precision  as 
an  engineer  would  a  steam-engine.  The  discipline  in  respect  to 
order,  was  wellnigh  perfect ;  the  pupils  passing  through  their  school 
evolutions  and  changes  with  a  promptness,  precision,  and  concert  of 
movement,  really  inspiring  to  the  visitor,  and  which  would  remind 
you  of  the  mechanical  exactness  of  the  drill  of  Prussian  soldiery. 
To  show  with  what  ease  Mr.  Lefebvre  ruled  his  little  world,  I 


CORPORAL  PmaSHMENT  PROHIBITED  TO  TEACHERS.      137 


might  mention,  that  during  the  entire  day  that  I  spent  at  his 
school,  he  sat  by  my  side,  conversing  freely,  while  not  the  least 
embarrassment  could  be  observed  in  the  exercises  of  the  school. 

The  spacious  room,  occupying  the  entire  dimension  of  the  edi- 
fice, upon  the  ground-floor,  directly  underneath  the  school-room,  is 
very  appropriately  assigned  as  a  baggage  and  store-room,  where 
the  pupils,  on  arriving  at  school  in  the  morning,  deposit  their  out- 
door clothing  and  noon-luncheon,  and,  also,  as  a  comfortable  resort 
for  shelter  and  recreation  at  noon  or  during  intermissions.  Two 
long  seats  were  arranged  quite  around  the  room,  next  to  the  wall, 
for  the  cliildren  to  sit  on  while  partaking  of  their  collation,  while 
the  remainder  of  the  space  was  left  entire  for  free  movement. 
Hooks  were  fastened  in  the  walls,  and  numbered  with  mechanical 
exactness,  for  clothing  and  dinner  paniers. 

Corporal  punishment  was  never  resorted  to,  it  being,  in  fact, 
prohibited  by  the  government,  in  all  the  schools  under  its  control. 
Not  only  is  the  rod  and  ferule,  as  instruments  of  punishment,  ban- 
ished entirely  from  the  school-room,  but  all  other  modes  of 
physical  sufi'ei-ing  are  forbidden,  —  such  as  culhng,  pinching,  un- 
natural and  painful  postures  of  the  body,  imprisoning,  and  what- 
ever else  would  tend  to  deform  the  body,  excite  the  passions,  or 
sour  the  disposition.  Incorrigible  pupils,  as  a  last  resort,  are  ex- 
pelled from  the  school  by  the  local  committee.  Among  other 
modes  of  punishment  practised,  to  secure  order  and  obedience,  as 
a  penalty,  the  pupil  is  made  to  stand  face  to  the  wall,  with  hands 
behind,  and  suspended  around  liis  neck  a  badge,  marked  naughty, 
or  some  such  term  of  reproach.  He  is  sometimes  required  to  re- 
main after  school,  or  lose  a  merit-mark,  or  subjected  to  such  kinds 
of  penalties,  which,  according  to  circumstances,  would  be  suggested 
to  the  ingenuity  of  any  teacher. 

Rewards  are  resorted  to,  to  inspire  emulation.     TIic  pupil  who 

12* 


138  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


misses  in  his  recitation,  is  put  down ;  and  the  one  who  is  found  at 
the  head,  at  the  close  of  the  exercise,  receives  the  reward,  — 
which  consists,  for  the  time,  of  a  small  piece  of  pasteboard  marked 
^^ prize."  After  having  received  a  certain  number  of  these,  they 
are  exchanged  for  a  certificate ;  and  a  certain  number  of  these 
other,  are  exchanged  for  a  book,  or  some  other  appropriate  and 
valuable  token  of  merit. 

To  secure  punctuality,  recourse  is  had  to  a  system  of  demerits, 
and  petty  deprivations  ;  and  if  this  gentle  means  is  not  sufficient 
to  correct  the  evil,  a  printed  note  of  inquiry  is  sent  to  the  parent, 
asking  an  explanation  of  the  delinquency ;  but  parents  are  not 
imprisoned,  as  it  is  stated  they  are  in  Prussia,  for  non-attendance 
of  their  children. 

Mr.  Lefebvre  informed  me  that  there  is  a  diiference  of  opinion 
among  practical  educators,  in  regard  to  the  point  so  long  mooted 
with  us,  —  whether,  in  teaching  the  alphabet,  the  letters  should  be 
learned  separately,  and  then  combined  in  syllables  and  words ;  or, 
whether  whole  words  should  be  first  taught,  and  afterwards  ana- 
lyzed, or  resolved  into  their  elements.  Many  teachers  practise 
both  methods  simultaneously;  and  all  educators  concur  in  the 
opinion,  that  the  sounds  or  powers  of  the  letters  should  either  be 
taught  before  their  names,  or  in  connection  with  them.  It  should 
be  observed,  by  way  of  explanation,  that  the  orthoepy  of  the 
French,  as  well  as  that  of  the  modern  languages  of  Eui'ope  gene- 
rally, is  much  more  regular  than  that  of  the  English,  —  so  that 
spelling  words  by  the  sounds  of  the  letters,  instead  of  their  names, 
would  be  more  natural  and  successful  with  those  languages,  than 
with  ours.  In  this  school,  the  names  of  the  letters  were  first 
given  to  the  pupil,  and  afterwards  their  diffijrent  powers  or  sounds. 
Ai'ithmetic  was  taught  much  in  the  same  manner  as  with  us.  In 
teaching  reading,  cards,  on  which  were  printed  in  large,  plain  type, 


METHOD  OF  TEACHING  IN  FRANCE.         ]39 


the  several  elements  of  discourse,  from  a  letter  to  a  paragraph, 
were  made  use  of.  The  monitor  points  to  the  letter,  or  word,  and 
the  class,  either  separately,  or  in  concert,  give  the  element  or  com- 
bination, and  then  it  is  analyzed. 

Pupils  practise  the  first  rudiments  of  writing,  by  means  of 
slate  and  pencil.  The  scholars  remain  in  their  seats,  each  with  a 
slate  and  pencil  in  hand,  and  eyes  fixed  upon  the  card  before  the 
class,  upon  which  has  been  written,  by  the  monitor,  tlie  lesson  to 
be  imitated  by  the  pupils.  When  all  is  ready,  the  monitor 
commences  by  reading  to  the  class,  in  an  audible  manner,  and 
with  distinct  utterance,  the  word  to  be  copied.  Then,  at  a  signal, 
the  first  division  make  the  copy,  in  a  deliberate  manner,  and  with 
all  due  pains-taking.  The  other  divisions  follow  the  same  mode. 
The  exercise  is  of  an  hour's  length. 

■  Drawing  is  here  taught  principally  by  means  of  the  black- 
board. The  teacher,  or  monitor,  who  is  of  course  a  proficient  in 
the  branch  himself,  makes  the  copy  to  be  imitated,  adapting  it  in 
character  to  the  average  capacity  and  stage  of  advancement  of 
the  class.  The  pupils  then  set  themselves  earnestly  to  work,  ani- 
mated, evidently,  by  a  healthy  emulation,  each  to  make  a  more 
perfect  copy  than  his  neighbor.  Before  commencing  the  exercise, 
the  teacher  gives  some  general  description  of  the  j)icture,  both  to 
impart  a  clearer  visual  conception  of  its  character  to  the  class,  and 
to  interest  them  in  its  subject,  —  while  during  the  continuance  of 
the  exercise,  he  frequently  calls  attention  to  particular  features, 
sometimes  giving  explicit  directions  to  be  faithfully  observed.  I 
noticed,  however,  a  class  composed  of  older  pupils,  practising  from 
cards  on  the  forms  before  them. 

The  principal  is  required  by  law,  to  impart  to  the  school  moral 
and  reUgious  instruction.  For  this  purpose,  the  Bible  is  used  in 
the  school,  although  the  Old  Testament  part  of  it  is  excluded.   In 


140  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


the  first  exercise  in  tlie  morning,  the  whole  school  go  through  with 
prayers,  which  consists  of  a  brief  form  which  they  repeat  me- 
chanically, and  in  a  monotonous  manner,  each  division  in  concert, 
after  their  several  monitors ;  and,  at  the  closing  exercise  in  the 
afternoon,  they  make  some  signs  connected  with  the  mysteries  of 
their  religion,  which  is  followed  by  singing  in  Latin  a  verse, —  of 
the  meaning  of  which,  the  teacher  told  me  they  were  completely 
ignorant.  Besides  these  exercises,  they  repair  in  company  to  the 
church,  two  or  three  times  a  week,  where  they  receive  from  a 
priest  instruction  in  the  Catholic  catechism,  with  such  moral  in- 
struction in  addition,  as  is  thought  befitting. 

The  order  of  the  school  was  admirable,  although  I  observed 
several  pupils  cry  during  the  day.  There  was  no  whispering, 
clandestine  communication,  nor  unnecessary  movement,  nor  noise. 
Everything  in  this  line  moved  with  the  utmost  precision,  prompti- 
tude, and  regularity.  A  sentiment  of  mutual  respect,  and  reve- 
rence for  the  teacher,  seemed  to  pervade  the  school,  very  grateful 
to  the  feelings  of  the  cursory  visitor.  Industry  and  assiduity  were 
visible  among  all  the  pupils.  The  calisthenics,  with  which  the 
exercises  were  interspersed,  had  the  happy  elFeet  of  relieving  the 
monotony  of  the  school  exercises,  and  imparting  animation  to 
the  pupils.  The  singing  was  really  inspiring.  Every  pupil  joined 
the  exercise  with  readiest  ease,  and  engaged  in  it  with  evident 
enthusiasm ;  and  it  is  by  no  means  easy  to  judge  of  the  effect 
of  two  hundred  and  forty  juvenile  voices  in  a  single  room,  burst- 
ing upon  the  ear  with  their  sweet,  silvery,  joyful  melody,  with 
the  most  exact  movement  of  time,  in  excellent  tune,  and  with 
wonderful  blending  of  voices.  The  charm  was  really  magic-like, 
and  for  the  moment  you  are  carried  away  into  a  region  of  bhssful 
emotions. 

The  compensation  of  teachers  for  this   class  of  schools,  in  the 


SCHOOLS  OF  MUTUAL  INSTRUCTION.         141 

city  of  Paris,  is  from  three  hundred  to  four  hundred  dollars  per 
annum.  They  have,  besides,  opportunity  to  increase  this  sum,  by 
teaching  evening  schools,  or  in  engaging  in  any  other  pursuit  for 
which  their  talents  qualify  them. 

Mr.  Lefebvre  had  been  engaged  in  teaching,  twenty  years ;  and 
in  the  present  school,  eight  years ;  and  yet  he  evinced  all  the  vi- 
vacity and  enthusiasm  of  youth.  This  is  the  more  surprising, 
as  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  from  six  in  the  morning  till  eleven 
in  the  evening,  —  having  private  classes,  and  being  employed  to 
teach  in  one  of  the  evening  schools  for  adults.  It  should  be  ob- 
served, however,  that  his  duties  in  school  are  much  less  arduous 
than  with  those  teachers  who,  in  addition  to  govenunent,  have  to 
instruct  classes. 

He  received  me  with  the  utmost  politeness  of  manner,  and  with 
true  cordiality  and  frankness,  —  spared  no  pains  to  show  me  all 
around,  and  give  me  such  information  as  he  had  in  his  power. 

This  school  was  pointed  out  to  me  by  Monsieur  le  Vice- Rector 
a  la  Sarbonne,  as  the  best  of  the  eleven  schools  of  mutual  instruc- 
tion in  the  city,  which  were  established  in  1815  by  Messrs.  Martin 
and  Froissard.  The  plan  is  copied  after  the  Lancastrian  schools 
in  England,  and  their  success  is  spoken  of  in  high  terms  of  praise 
by  the  authorities  in  charge  of  the  matter.  Undoubtedly,  this 
system  of  mutual  instruction  is  carried  in  these  schools  to  a  good 
degree  of  perfection,  —  and  in  the  matter  of  pecuniary  economy, 
there  is  much  to  recommend  it.  Only  one  master  of  moderate 
attainments  is  required  for  a  school  of  from  two  hundred  to  three 
hundred  puj)ils.  Besides,  so  perfect  is  the  system,  and  so  exactly 
is  it  followed,  even  in  its  minutest  details,  aside  from  obtaining  con- 
siderable elementary  knowledge  in  the  branches,  they  necessarily 
contract  valuable  habits  of  order,  economy,  punctuality,  obedience, 
and  respect  for  superiors.     Still,  no  philosophical  educator  will 


142  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


fail  to  perceive  that  the  system  is  incapable  of  affording  the  high- 
est form  of  instruction,  or  imparting  the  fullest  development  to 
mind.  Education  can  never  fulfil  its  high  mission,  unless  the 
teacher  can  command  time  to  become  familiar  with  each  individual 
mind  under  his  care,  and  to  adapt  his  mode  of  teaching  to  its  pe- 
cuharities.  This  idea  is  fully  carried  out  in  the  more  liberal  and 
enlightened  institutions  of  Europe,  in  many  of  which  there  is  a 
teacher  for  every  eight  or  ten  pupils. 

Jan.  'ilih.  Made  a  visit  to  the  Municipal  School  Francais  1, 
Rue  de  Blanche.  On  presenting  myself  at  the  gate,  which  opens 
into  the  court,  the  porter  took  my  letters  to  Mr.  Goubeau,  the  Di- 
rector of  the  establishment.  The  latter  gentleman,  handsomely 
dressed,  rather  portly  in  person,  and  with  a  business  air,  received 
me  with  perfect  courtesy  and  cordiality,  and  at  once  entered  into 
lively  conversation,  communicating  in  the  most  rapid  manner 
imaginable,  items  of  information  concerning  the  school.  Ilis 
enunciation  was  so  distinct,  and  the  tones  of  his  voice  so  clear, 
that  I  understood  readily  nearly  all  he  uttered ;  but  in  a  few  mo- 
ments, he  begged  to  take  the  liberty  to  introduce  to  me  his 
professor  in  the  English  language,  who  would  be  most  happy  to 
give  me  such  information  as  I  might  desire,  and  to  show  me  over 
the  establishment.  The  latter  gentleman  soon  appeared,  and  went 
on  in  the  same  hurried  manner,  detailing  the  plan  and  arrange- 
ments of  the  institution,  comparing  it  with  similar  institutions  in 
Germany  and  England,  in  which  countries  he  had  himself  jour- 
neyed, —  and,  in  fine,  developing  to  my  mental  view  the  compre- 
hensive and  complicated  system  of  schools  in  Paris.  But  his  pro- 
nunciation was  so  indistinct,  and  his  utterance  so  hurried,  that  I  but 
partially  understood  him,  and  more  than  once  reminded  him  of 
his  being  the  teacher  of  English,  and  that  I  was  able  to  under- 
stand that  language  somewhat  better  than  the  French.     At  last 


MUNICIPAL  SCHOOL.  143 


he  plainly  told  me,  that  although  professor  of  the  English  lan- 
guage, and  having  travelled  in  England,  still  he  never  attempted 
to  speak  the  language.  I  could  hardly  make  myself  believe  that 
a  professor  of  one  of  the  best  and  most  distinguished  schools  of 
Paris,  could  be  wanting  in  the  very  branch  to  which  his  entire 
time  was  devoted.  But,  perhaps,  the  eminence  even  of  his  posi- 
tion made  him  fearful  of  attempting  to  express  himself  in  a  lan- 
guage, which  he  could  hardly  have  done  without  making  some 
mistakes. 

It  being  Thursday,  there  was  no  afternoon  session  of  the  school, 
so  that  I  was  not  able  to  witness  recitations,  —  but  an  inspection 
of  the  rooms,  premises,  apparatus,  with  full  and  minute  explana- 
tions, in  regard  to  everything  there,  enabled  me  to  get  a  tolerably 
good  idea  of  the  institution. 

The  school  was  founded  by  the  city,  in  1814,  and  is  under  the 
supervision  of  a  board  of  six  distinguished  literary  or  scientific 
gentlemen.  The  professors  and  associate  masters  are  chosen  by 
the  administration  of  the  school.  The  institution  is  designed  to 
occupy  a  medium  rank,  between  the  more  common  private  semi- 
naries, and  the  University  of  France.  It  affords  sui)crior  facili- 
ties for  acquiring  a  very  thorough  and  extensive  practical  educa- 
tion, for  the  various  avocations  of  life,  including  the  pursuit  of 
teaching.  Indeed,  in  regard  to  the  latter  point,  the  professor  of 
English  very  deliberately  informed  me,  that  the  school  had  been 
more  successful,  even  than  the  best  Normal  schools,  in  sending 
out  accomplished  and  efficient  teachers  of  public  and  private 
schools,  and  even  Academies. 

The  institution  corresponds  to  those  schools  which  have  been  in 
existence  for  fifteen  years  in  almost  all  the  German  states,  and 
which  are  there  styled  Real  Schools.  The  course  occupies  six 
years,  one  class  graduating  every  year,  and  the  instruction,  except 


144  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


in  those  branches  based  upon  the  ancient  languages,  is  considered 
complete.  The  student  is  advanced  to  a  higher  class  only  after  a 
most  rigid  examination,  and  his  qualilications  having  been  con- 
firmed by  the  board. 

The  examination  for  admission  to  the  freshman  class,  requires 
the  applicant  to  be  tolerably  familiar  with  reading,  writing,  the 
elements  of  orthogi'aphy,  the  first  notions  of  geograjihy.  Sacred 
history,  and  the  ground-rules  of  arithmetic  in  whole  numbers  and 
decimals.  The  pupil  must  also  be  able  to  write  with  sufficient 
ability  to  take  notes  without  hesitation,  and  to  follow  readily  a 
dictation. 

The  course  of  instruction  comprises  the  study  of  the  French 
grammar,  the  French  language  and  its  writers ;  the  English,  Ger- 
man, Italian,  and  Spanish  languages  ;  history  and  geography  in 
all  their  branches ;  computation  ;  arithmetic,  with  its  applications ; 
geometry,  algebra,  accounts,  cosmography,  zoology,  husbandry,  bot- 
any, geology,  mineralogy,  natural  philosophy,  chemistry,  industrial 
mechanics ;  the  study  of  first  materials ;  technology,  linear-drawing, 
ornamental  drawing,  carpentry,  architecture,  laying  of  plans,  per- 
spective, drafting,  construction,  and  singing.  At  the  request  of  pa- 
rents, languages  not  comprised  in  the  course  are  taught  their  chil- 
dren by  private  instructors.  This  course  will  appear  the  more  exten- 
sive, when  it  is  considered  that  many  of  the  branches  are  taught  by 
professors  who  have  made  a  distinct  branch  an  exclusive  subject 
of  investigation  for  many  years,  and  who  thus  having  a  most 
thorough  and  extensive  knowledge  of  the  subject,  have  facilities 
for  illustrating  the  details  of  the  study. 

The  studies  are  so  arranged,  that  the  pupil  who  should  be  com- 
pelled to  leave  before  having  completed  the  course,  v/ill  have  re- 
ceived a  knowledge  of  the  fundamental  princijjles,  around  which 
it  will  be  comparatively  easy  to  gather  dependent  acquisition. 


SCHOOL  REGULATIONS.  145 


For  the  benefit  of  such  appKcants,  as  are  not  able  to  pass  an 
examination  for  admission  to  the  freshman  class,  there  is  estab- 
lished a  preparatory  department. 

Both  boarders  and  day-scholars  are  admitted.  The  school  is 
formed  into  two  divisions ;  the  smaller  college  with  pupils  thirteen 
years  and  upwards  ;  and  the  larger  college,  with  those  who  have 
not  attained  the  age  of  thirteen. 

The  dormitories  and  study-rooms  of  the  divisions  are  entii-ely 
separate,  as  well  as  meals  and  recreations. 

The  religious  direction  of  the  school  is  confined  to  M.  L' Abbe 
Duncel,  curate,  or  vicar  of  Notre  Dame  de  Lorette  ;  while  M.,  the 
pastor  Coquerel,  gives  instruction  every  week  to  the  protestant 
pupils. 

The  medical  counsel  of  the  schools  is  composed  of  four  dis- 
tinguished physicians. 

Every  three  months  the  parent  of  the  student  receives  a  cer- 
tificate of  the  conduct  and  progress  of  the  latter,  with  remarks 
from  each  member  of  the  faculty.  Besides  this,  each  pupil  is  re- 
quired to  transcribe  into  his  journal  the  register  of  his  standing, 
in  regard  to  scholarship,  conduct  and  moral  character,  as  given 
him  by  the  professors,  which  ia  to  be  inspected  and  signed  by  his 
parents  or  guardians,  on  their  days  of  visit  to  the  school. 

Pupils  who  have  not  applied  themselves  satisfactorily  to  their 
studies  during  the  term,  are  required  to  study  during  the  vacation. 

The  pupil  before  being  admitted  must  present  a  certificate,  first, 
of  his  birth ;  second,  of  his  vaccination  ;  third,  of  his  good  con- 
duct, if  he  has  ever  attended  another  school. 

Pupils  are  required  to  be  in  their  rooms  as  early  as  nine  o'clock 
in  the  evening.  They  are  permitted  to  receive  visits  only  from 
their  parents,  correspondents,  and  persons  allowed  by  their  parents 
or  by  the  faculty  of  the  school. 


146  CHESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WOULD. 


Parents  are  requested  to  leave  In  the  hands  of  their  children  no 
valuable  trinket,  or  spending-money.  The  pupil  must  bring  no 
book  to  school  without  submitting  it  to  the  director  for  his  ap- 
probation. 

The  terms  are,  two  hundred  dollars  per  annum,  for  boarders ; 
and  forty  dollars,  for  day-scholars. 

I  have  been  the  more  particular  to  enumerate  several  of  the 
more  prominent  features  and  regulations  of  this  school,  as  it  is  es- 
teemed one  of  the  best  appointed  in  Paris. 

On  my  return,  I  looked  into  the  church  of  Notre-Dame-de- 
Lorette.  Although  this  is  not  usually  spoken  of  in  the  descriptions 
of  Paris,  as  one  of  the  most  notable  religious  edifices,  yet  I  must 
confess  that  it  presented  points  of  interest  and  beauty  that  I  have 
not  found  surpassed. 

It  is  completely  isolated  on  all  sides,  and  forms  a  basilica, 
uniting  the  Grecian  style  of  architecture,  and  ornament,  of  the 
fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries,  mingled  with  the  Byzantine. 
The  interior  is  of  the  greatest  richness.  The  numerous  paintings 
with  which  its  chapel  is  filled,  were  executed  upon  the  spot,  and 
were  designed  for  the  places  they  occupy,  giving  to  the  tout  en- 
semble of  the  view  a  unity  and  agreeableness  of  effect  that  could 
not  otherwise  have  been  obtained.  Aside  from  the  places  reserved 
for  Divine  worship,  the  church  is  capable  of  accommodating  about 
three  thousand  persons. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

COMMUNAL  SCHOOL  —  CHARACTER  OF  THE  SCHOOL  —  PRIVATE 
DAY  AND  BOARDING-SCHOOL  BY  THE  FRERES  —  PLAN  OF  THE 
SCHOOL  —  SINGING  —  MUNICIPAL  SCHOOL  SUPERIOR  —  ARRANGE- 
MENT OF  THE    BUILDING  —  DRAAVING  —  CHURCH    ST.  EUSTACHE 

CATHEDRAL  DE  NOTRE    DAME,  COMPARED  WITH    THE    ROUEN 

CATHEDRAL  —  BELL  —  SPLENDID  INTERIOR  —  HISTORICAL  ASSO- 
CIATIONS —  CORONATION  OF  NAPOLEON  —  ENGLISH  EPISCOPAL 
CHURCH  —  MUDDY  STREETS  —  PRACTICE  OF  THE  LADIES  —  HO- 
TEL DES  INVALIDS  —  EXTERIOR  —  INTERIOR  —  BRILLIANT  RE- 
MINISCENCE OF  THE  OLD  SOLDIER  —  MILITARY  SCHOOL  —  WO- 
MAN AMONG  THE  LOWER   ORDERS. 

Jan.  2Sth.  Visited  one  of  the  Communal  Schools,  kept  by  the 
Freres  rue  Montgolfiere.  The  director  received  me  with  great 
deUcacy  and  politeness,  mingled  with  a  goodness  of  manner  that 
was  really  delightful.  "With  the  utmost  wiUingness,  and  apparent 
pleasure,  he  conducted  me  through  the  different  apartments  of 
the  school,  explaining  everything  on  his  way,  and  answering  my 
numerous  questions  with  the  utmost  readiness. 

The  school  is  composed  of  about  six  hundred  pupils,  and  is 
conducted  by  six  teachers,  —  a  single  teacher  having  the  manage- 
ment and  principal  instruction  of  one  hundred  pupils.  The  direc- 
tor infoimed  me  that  it  was  not  at  all  difficult  for  a  teacher  to 
manage  successfully  so  large  a  number ;  but  I  was  inclined  to  dif- 
fer from  him  in  opinion  on  that  pomt,  and  my  oljservations  upon 


148  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


the  school  fully  corroborated  my  view.  The  order  in  the  different 
rooms  was  by  no  means  satisfactory.  The  pupils  were  not  only- 
noisy,  but  they  had  listless  habits,  and  were  not  prompt  in  obeying 
the  teacher's  commands. 

The  exercises  in  arithmetic  were  indifferent.  Although  the 
pupils  showed  considerable  readiness  in  performing  examples,  and 
especially  in  applying  the  principle  of  cancellation,  yet  they  were 
unusually  ignorant  in  regard  to  the  principles  of  the  rules,  and 
were  unable  to  give  a  reason  for  some  of  the  simplest  steps  in  the 
process  of  a  solution.  The  reading,  too,  in  my  humble  judgment, 
was  the  poorest  that  I  ever  listened  to  in  a  school.  The  pupils 
called  the  words  with  sufficient  fluency,  but  their  enunciation  was 
sadly  indistinct,  the  pronunciation  faulty,  while  thei'e  was  nothing 
in  their  reading  that  could,  with  a  shadow  of  justice,  be  termed 
expression  ;  but  on  the  contrary,  the  most  disagreeable  monotony 
pervaded  the  whole  style,  robbing  the  pieces  of  whatever  of  pleas- 
ure the  sentiments  were  calculated  to  inspire. 

The  di'awing  and  writing,  to  which  much  attention  is  given 
here  as  in  all  the  schools,  were,  however,  superior ;  and  some 
specimens  shown  me,  executed  by  comparatively  young  pupils, 
were  surprisingly  excellent,  and  would  have  done  credit  to  artists 
of  greater  pretensions. 

Here,  as  in  several  other  schools  that  I  visited,  the  teacher  most 
cordially  assented  to  my  request  for  permission  to  address  the  school. 
The  announcement  of  this  intention  by  the  teacher,  produced,  with 
good  reason,  a  lively  sensation  among  the  pupils,  and  every  eye 
beamed  with  expectancy.  To  hear  their  own  language  from  the 
mouth  of  a  foreigner,  kindled  their  juvenile  curiosity  so  high  that 
they  leaned  forward,  as  if  they  would  press  out  of  their  seats ;  and 
when  I  asked  who  would  perform  a  few  simple  questions  for  me, 
every  hand  was  up,  and  many  of  them  trembling  with  a  nervous 


PRIVATE  BOARDING-SCHOOL.  149 


movement,  indicating  intense  eagerness.  The  questions  I  put, 
were  such  as  these :  "  Can  you  begin  at  the  left  hand  to  add  ?  " 
,  •*  The  explanation  for  multiplying  by  the  factors  of  a  number  ?  " 
and  their  almost  total  ignorance  of  the  principles,  gave  further 
proof  that  it  is  quite  impossible  for  one  teacher  to  instruct  well 
so  large  a  number  as  one  hundred  pupils. 

They  learn  here,  Reading,  "Writing,  Arithmetic,  the  French 
language.  Drawing,  and  the  elements  of  some  of  the  higher 
branches. 

The  principal  informed  me,  that  there  are  some  thirty  schools 
taught  in  Paris  by  the  Freres.  The  compensation  of  teachers  of 
this  class  of  schools,  is  about  tliree  hundred  and  twenty  dollars 
per  annum.  Such  as  are  successful  receive,  besides,  medals  of 
honor,  and  a  gratuity  in  case  of  being  disabled  ;  and  in  case  of 
decease,  something  for  their  families. 

After  looking  in  upon  several  schools,  I  was  conducted  by  one 
of  the  Freres  to  a  private  institution  which  received  both  boarders 
and  day-scholars.  This  was  of  a  more  elevated  character  than 
those  just  named,  and  its  members  were  from  families  in  easy  cir- 
cumstances in  life.  I  did  not,  however,  see  that  neatness  and  ele- 
gance, either  in  the  rooms  or  in  the  dress  and  persons  of  the 
pupils,  which  I  expected.  This  was  styled  one  of  tlie  Christian 
schools  of  the  Freres,  and  is  established  with  the  idea  of  rearing 
a  solid  education  upon  a  religious  basis.  Although  private,  it  is 
authorized  by  the  University  of  France,  and  its  plan  is  after  those 
which  have  been  for  some  time  in  successful  operation  in  Rouen, 
Rheims,  Lyons,  Nantes,  Sainte-Etienne,  and  in  other  large  places 
in  France.  The  school  is  divided  into  two  sections ;  the  first  in- 
cludes youtlx  between  the  ages  of  fourteen  and  eighteen,  who  de- 
sign to  follow  a  mercantile  or  industrial  life.  They  are  carefully 
instructed  in  the  tenets  and  fonns  of  religion,  and  are  taught 

13* 


150  CKESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


grammar,  and  the  principles  connected  with  it,  —  such,  for  in- 
stance, as  grammatical  analysis,  logic,  and  some  idea  of  style. 
Also,  Arithmetic,  Book-Keeping,  Geometry,  with  its  appHcations, 
such  as  drawing  plans,  carpentry,  etc. ;  Drawing,  including  per- 
spective, linear,  ornamental,  and  figure;  Geography,  including 
commercial  and  historical ;  History,  including  Ecclesiastical,  An- 
cient and  French ;  Vocal  Music ;  the  elements  of  the  Natural 
Sciences. 

Ornamental  branches  not  included  in  the  above  lists,  —  such  as 
instrumental  musicj  and  the  study  of  the  living  languages,  such  as 
English,  German,  etc.,  are  extra. 

What  is  termed  the  second  section  of  the  school,  composed  of 
young  children,  who  design  at  a  later  period  to  pursue  the  study 
of  the  Latin  language,  in  an  establishment  of  secondary  instruction, 
are  carefully  taught  the  elements  of  such  branches  as  are  appro- 
priate to  their  age  and  designs. 

Pupils  enter  school  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  leave 
at  half  past  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  taking  their  dinners  at 
the  establishment,  for  which  no  extra  charge  is  made.  The  ex- 
pense to  this  class  of  pupils  is  about  one  dollar  per  week.  A 
slight  additional  charge  is  made  for  use  of  furnishings  at  the  table, 
library,  and  philosophical  and  chemical  apparatus. 

Pupils  are  accompanied  in  a  promenade  every  fortnight,  on 
Thursday  afternoon ;  and  parents  are  required  to  furnish  their 
children  who  are  members  of  the  school,  a  uniform-coat,  after  the 
style  adopted  by  the  institute,  for  Sundays,  fete-days,  and  for 
promenade. 

The  several  branches  comprised  in  the  course  are  efiiciently 
taught  here,  by  six  or  eight  competent  professors.  The  time  for 
each  recitation  is  ample,  the  classes  conveniently  small,  and  there 
is  an  appearance  of  the  work  being  well  done.     Enghsh  is 


MUSIC  IN  SCHOOLS.  IJl 


taught  by  a  professor  from  London,  who  divides  his  time  among 
several  schools  in  the  city.  The  director  spoke  English  very  dis- 
tinctly, and  with  tolerable  ease,  although  he  assured  me  that  he 
had  attended  to  learning  the  language  but  a  short  time,  and  could 
get  but  little  opportunity  for  practice.  It  is  really  surprising  with 
what  difference  of  facihty  different  minds  acquire  a  foreign  lan- 
guage ;  some  gaining  enough  to  be  able  to  express  themselves  in- 
telligibly, and  with  ease,  in  a  short  time  ;  while  others,  with 
equally  good  intellectual  capacity,  never  arrive  to  any  fluency  or 
correctness  of  expression,  however  much  study  or  practice  they 
may  have  given  to  it. 

No  corporal  punishment  was  allowed  in  this  school ;  and  the 
order  was  by  no  means  good.  Several  regulations  I  have  omitted 
here,  being  the  same  as  in  the  school  described  under  the  head 
Frangais  1. 

The  exercise  in  music  to  which  I  listened,  was  highly  interest- 
ing and  satisfactory.  It  was  conducted  with  a  degree  of  spirit, 
energy  and  thoroughness,  that  could  not  fail  to  impart  to  a  stranger 
a  high  opinion  of  the  efficiency  of  this  department  of  instruction 
in  Paris.  The  professor,  himself  familiar  with  the  subject,  con- 
ducted the  exercise  in  an  easy,  animated  and  enthusiastic  manner. 
His  habits  of  mind,  as  evinced  in  his  instruction,  were  evidently 
reduced  to  the  strictest  method,  and  to  great  simplicity  of  ar- 
rangement and  gradation  in  the  steps  of  mental  effort,  and  were 
well  adapted  to  the  minds  of  his  class.  There  was,  moreover,  a 
philosophical  character  pervading  the  whole,  which  revealed  the 
true  master ;  and  from  the  moment  of  commencing,  to  the  close 
of  the  exercise,  he  moved  rapidly  and  boldly  on,  without  the 
slightest  hesitation  or  unnecessary  repetition.  The  pupils,  catch- 
ing the  inspiration  of  the  teacher,  were  all  ear,  eye  and  mouth, 
completely  thrilled  with  emotion,  and  almost  bounding  with  interest. 


152  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


Instead  of  the  ordinary  staff  with  lines  and  spaces,  the  tones 
were  indicated  by  means  of  figures,  arranged  in  a  horizontal  line. 
This  new  method  of  representing  musical  characters,  though  not 
generally  adopted,  has  an  advantage  over  the  old,  of  greater  sim- 
plicity ;  and  the  professor  informed  me,  that  although  he  instructed 
his  class  in  the  old  method,  he  was  more  successful  with  the 
latter,  and  that  he  hoped  ere  long  to  see  it  generally  introduced. 

He  spent  about  half  the  hour  in  drilling  his  class  on  the  different 
scales,  and  the  remainder  of  the  time  in  executing  combinations 
as  a  drill,  and  some  of  these  were  difficult  in  a  high  degree. 

Jan.  2^th.  Visited  the  Municipal  School  Superior,  kept  by  M. 
Pompe,  rue  St.  Z'  Orient.  The  building,  which  is  quadrangular 
in  form,  encloses  a  small  square  or  open  court,  which  affords  a 
delightful  retreat  to  the  scholars  at  recess  and  noons.  The  interior 
front  of  the  edifice  is  ornamented  by  a  portico  supported  by  fluted 
columns  extending  quite  around  the  square,  presenting  not  only  a 
pleasing  aspect  to  the  eye,  but  a  most  agreeable  promenade,  pro- 
tected alike  from  the  rays  of  the  sun  in  midsummer,  and  the  ram 
in  inclement  seasons.  The  rooms  through  which  the  director  es- 
corted me,  with  an  air  a  little  dignified  and  condescending,  were 
by  no  means  elegant,  though  they  were  spacious  and  conveniently 
arranged.  The  walls  of  the  salle  a  manger,  ov  dining-room,  were 
covered  with  fine  drawings,  made  by  those  who  either  were  at  the 
time,  or  had  previously  been,  pupils  of  the  school.  One  of  these 
was  a  map  of  Paris  and  its  environs.  It  was  on  a  surface  of  not 
less  than  ten  feet  square,  and  was  most  elaborately  and  beautifully 
done.  Much  attention  here,  as  in  all  the  schools,  was  given  to 
drawing.  In  the  Salle  a  Dessin  were  several  exquisite  models  for 
moulding  in  plaster,  while  the  walls  were  hung  with  elegant  pat- 
terns. The  chemical  laboratory  was  well  appointed,  and  the  phi- 
losophical and  other  apparatus  quite  complete. 


CATHEDRAL  DE  NOTRE  DA5IE.  153 

The  school  is  composed  of  about  three  hundred  and  twenty 
pupils,  —  eighty  occupying  a  single  room.  The  order  was  good 
among  aU  the  divisions ;  and  there  was  an  appearance  of  industry 
and  care  with  the  pupils,  which  spoke  well  for  the  school.  They 
are  received  here  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  and  remain  three  years. 
The  pupils  are  mostly  from  the  middling  classes  of  the  Parisian 
population,  and  pay  tuition.  A  few  indigent  pupils,  however,  are 
admitted,  whose  expenses  are  defrayed  by  the  city.  The  highest 
sum  paid  any  teacher  in  this  school,  is  six  hundred  dollars  per  an- 
num. Much  use  was  made  of  the  BUick-Board.  No  reading 
taught  here.  No  corporal  punishment.  Emulation  encouraged. 
For  prizes,  medals  and  books  are  given.  Pujiils  expelled,  as  a 
last  resort. 

On  my  return,  I  looked  into  the  beautiful  church  of  St.  Eus- 
tache,  in  the  Third  Arrondissement  of  the  city.  A  detailed  des- 
cription of  it  could  not  be  given  here,  even  if  it  were  certain  that 
the  account  would  prove  entertaining  to  the  general  reader.  This 
vast  edifice,  commenced  in  1532,  and  only  fiiiii^hed  in  1G42,  was 
at  first  only  a  small  chapel  dedicated  to  St.  Agnes.  The  great 
length  of  time  occupied  in  its  building,  fails  to  astonish  the  mind, 
when  the  immense  \n\e,  with  its  decorations  and  sculpture,  are 
once  fairly  contemplated.  The  church  is  rich  in  pictures,  and  the 
traveller  would  be  well  repaid  with  a  visit  to  them. 

CATIIEDEAL  DE  NOTRE  DAME. 

There  are  very  many  religious  edifices  in  Paris,  all  of  them  more 
or  less  instructive  and  interesting;  but  there  is  no  other,  perhaps, 
that  impresses  the  mind  so  strongly,  and  awakens  so  many  and  di- 
verse emotions  in  the  breast  of  the  beholder,  as  the  church  of  Notre 
Dame.  Its  antiquity,  its  immense  size,  the  style  of  its  architec- 
ture, its  interior  decorations,  and  especially  its  historical  associa- 


154  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


tions,  all  combine  to  render  it  a  pile  of  tlirilling  interest.  In  ex- 
ternal aj)pearance,  majestic  as  it  is,  it  does  not  equal  the  Cathedral 
at  Rouen ;  but  its  decorations,  both  within  and  -without,  are  more 
curious  and  elaborate ;  the  former  being  chietly  paintings,  the  lat- 
ter sculptured  ornaments.  It  would  require  volumes  to  give  a 
description  of  these  compositions.  There  is  scarcely  a  prominent 
person  or  event  in  scriptural  or  ecclesiastical  history,  that  is  not 
here  illustrated,  with  many  fanciful  inventions  besides. 

Its  fajade  is  grand  and  imposing  beyond  expression.  A  high, 
and  deeply  cut,  arched  door-way,  massively  rich  in  sculptured 
ornaments,  opens  to  the  main  entrance.  On  either  side  is  a  smaller 
door-way,  and  above  this,  in  solemn  grandeur,  an  elevated  and 
massive  tower,  evidently  intended  for  the  bases  of  steeples.  The 
general  architecture  is  pure,  pointed  gothic,  and  though  its  effect  is 
grandly  impressive,  its  beauty  is  somewhat  marred  by  the  absence 
of  steeples,  pinnacles,  etc.  It  is  a  cruciform  edifice.  Its  length 
externally  is  four  hundred  and  forty-two  feet ;  breadth,  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty-two  feet ;  length  of  transepts,  three  hundred  and 
fifty-tWo  feet.  The  towers  are  two  hundred  and  thirty-five  feet 
high. 

You  reach  the  summit  by  a  stairway  of  three  hundred  and 
eighty-nine  steps,  situated  in  the  western  tower,  from  which  a 
splendid  view  is  spread  out  to  the  eye,  displaying,  in  picturesque 
beauty  the  chief  points  of  interest  in  the  capital,  the  winding 
course  of  the  Seine,  and  the  magnificent  country  views  with  which 
Paris  is  surrounded. 

In  the  western  tower  is  the  bell,  whose  deep  and  heavy  tones 
are  only  heard  on  occasions  of  gi'eat  solemnity.  Its  dimensions 
are  so  huge  as  to  require  the  utmost  exertions  of  sixteen  able- 
bodied  men  to  give  it  motion. 

The  vastness  and  religious  gloom  of  the  interior  of  the  church 


NOTRE  DAME.  155 


impresses  strongly,  from  the  first,  the  mind  of  the  beholder.  After 
contemplating  the  exterior  of  the  grand  edifice,  you  experience  on 
entering  it  no  feeling  of  surprise  or  disappointment.  There  is  a 
correspondence  and  harmony  of  effect,  which  do  not  destroy  nor 
weaken  the  first  emotion,  but  only  elevate  and  strengthen  it. 
The  mind  is  almost  staggered  with  deUght,  as  the  brilliant  sanc- 
tuary, resplendent  gildings,  costly  marbles,  and  master-pieces  of 
statuary,  burst  upon  the  view.  The  perspective  from  the  front 
entrance  to  the  depth  of  the  sanctuary  is  surpassingly  fine,  and, 
as  you  gaze  upon  the  lofty  vaults,  the  numerous  pillars  that  sus- 
tain them,  the  happy  disposition  of  the  masses,  the  harmony  of 
the  whole,  the  perfection  in  the  details,  you  can  hardly  realize 
that  it  is  all  the  work  of  three  centuries. 

Upon  the  identical  spot  now  occupied  by  Notre  Dame,  there  ex- 
isted, it  is  said,  in  the  reign  of  Tiberius,  a  temple  dedicated  to 
Jupiter,  Vulcan,  and  Castor  and  Pollux.  As  early  as  A.  D.  365, 
after  the  Parisians  had  become  Christians,  they  threw  down  these 
idols,  and  replaced  them  by  a  Christian  church.  This  edifice  be- 
coming insufficient  to  accommodate  the  increase  of  the  population, 
in  1161,  Maurice  de  Sully  commenced  the  erection  of  the  present 
noble  structure,  and  Alexander  III.  placed  the  first  stone,  in  the 
year  1163.  Successive  additions  were  made  to  it  up  to  the  six- 
teenth century. 

The  historical  associations  of  Notre  Dame  invest  the  gloomy 
pile  with  intense  interest.  Here,  in  November,  1793,  was  enacted 
that  blasphemous  scene  which  astonished  all  Europe.  A  courte- 
zan, by  the  name  of  Maillard,  was  installed  as  the  "  Goddess  of 
Reason,"  upon  the  high  altar  of  the  cathedral,  by  Herbert  and  his 
associates,  suiTounded  by  immense  throngs  of  infatuated  men. 
Here,  too,  in  Af)ril,  1802,  less  than  nine  years  after,  was  celebrated 
the  reestablishment  of  the  Catholic  religion,  with  great  pomp.    But 


156  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

the  most  gorgeous  and  magnificent  ceremony,  which  the.  venerable 
walls  of  Notre  Dame  have  ever  witnessed,  was  the  coronation  of 
Napoleon  and  Josephine,  in  1804,  as  emperor  and  empress  of  the 
French.  The  display  of  splendor  and  riches  on  that  occasion, 
dazzled  the  eyes  of  even  the  Parisians.  The  pope  came  from  Rome 
to  place  the  crown  upon  his  lofty  brow.  Such  an  honor  had  not 
been  conferred  on  any  monarch  for  ten  centuries.  Charlemagne 
was  crowned  by  a  former  pope,  but  the  Emperor  of  the  West  had 
to  go  to  Rome  for  the  honor.  The  precise  spot  of  the  coronation 
is  mdicated  by  a  star  wrought  in  the  marble  floor,  in  front  of  the 
great  altar ;  and  the  robes  worn  on  the  occasion  by  the  different 
high  functionaries,  are  stiU  shown  the  stranger.  They  are  all 
splendid  ;   Napoleon's,  surpassingly  so. 

Sunday,  Jan.  ^Oth.  Attended  Divine  service  to-day  at  the 
English  episcopal  church,  rue  d'  Agguessiau.  It  is  a  small,  but 
beautiful  church,  having  been  recently  fitted  up  in  the  English- 
Gothic  style,  for  the  English  ambassador,  and  the  English  resi- 
dents in  Paris. 

As  I  entered  the  vestibule  of  the  church,  I  was  the  occasion  of 
a  trivial  incident,  which  I  hardly  knew  whether  to  receive,  or  not, 
in  a  complimentary  light.  The  sexton,  to  whom  I  addressed  my- 
self, in  English,  for  the  favor  of  a  seat,  replied  to  me  in  very  in- 
different French,  thus  leading  me  to  conclude  that  my  poor 
English,  and  what  my  friends  are  often  pleased  to  call  un-Ameri- 
can features,  had  very  naturally  betrayed  the  too  credulous  En- 
glishman into  an  egregious  error  as  to  my  nationality. 

The  company  assembled  was  not  large,  but  the  air  of  manners, 
and  quality  and  style  of  dress,  showed  it  to  be  very  select  in 
character.  I  observed  here  a  similar  feature  in  the  mode  of 
conducting  the  Avorship  as  prevails  in  the  French  protestant 
church,  in  the  city.     It  is  in  having  two  ofiiciating  clergymen ; 


DIVISION  OF  LABOR  IN  PREACHING.  15f 

one,  to  conduct  the  preliminary  exercises,  such  as  the  openin"' 
prayer,  reading  the  hymn,  etc.,  and  affording  to  the  other,  who  is 
the  preacher  proper,  entire  freshness  of  powers  for  the  effort  of 
the  sermon.  I  would  not  say  that  this  mode  is  not  preferable  to 
that  in  our  own  country  generally,  requiring  all  the  services,  ex- 
cepting singing,  of  the  preacher.  It  was  certainly  in  conformity 
with  the  practice  of  the  extreme  division  of  labor,  so  fully  carried 
out  in  Europe,  in  all  departments  of  life ;  a  principle  which  con- 
tributed, no  doubt,  to  the  superior  character  of  those  sermons 
which  I  listened  to  in  Paris.  They  gave  evidence  of  high  talent 
united  with  research  and  care  in  writing. 

The  subject  of  the  text  was,  the  miracle  of  Christ  on  the  oc- 
casion of  casting  out  evil  spirits  from  men,  and  causing  them  to 
enter  a  herd  of  swine.  The  preacher  contended  that  these  were 
really  evil  spirits,  or  demons,  and  not  a  state  of  lunacy.  He  re- 
futed the  objection  often  made,  that  this  miracle  seemed  an  excep- 
tion to  the  general  benevolent  tenor  of  Christ's  work.  The  style 
of  the  preacher  was  clear,  argumentative,  and  elegant,  and  highly 
impressive. 

Jan.  1\st.  The  weather,  which  had  been  so  severe  as  to  freeze 
over  the  Seine,  was  now  a.s  mild  as  a  day  of  Spring.  The  soft- 
ening of  the  air,  and  some  falling  weather,  had  rendered  the 
streets,  as  a  matter  of  course,  uncomfortably  muddy.  This  annoy- 
ance was,  however,  in  a  good  measure  remedied  by  the  efficient 
means  used,  by  men  employed  by  the  government,  to  remove  the 
dirt.  Troops  of  them  might  have  been  seen  in  all  the  principal 
streets,  some  with  huge  brooms,  which  they  used  with  admira- 
ble dexterity ;  others  with  teams,  to  remove  the  muddy  excres- 
cence ;  while  others  still,  with  engines  ready  to  apply  a  moderate 
shower-bath  to  such  parts  as  the  public  convenience  seemed 
most  to  require.    Muddy  streets  are  ever  a  sore  grievance  to  the 

14 


158  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


foot-passer  in  the  city ;  but  the  Parisian  manages  to  let  this,  as 
well  as  most  others  of  the  petty  miseries  of  life,  disturb  but  little 
his  equanimity.  Especially  is  the  remark  true  of  the  women. 
As  carriage  conveyance  is  exceedingly  cheap,  perfectly  convenient, 
and  safe,  most  well-dressed  ladies  would,  of  course,  choose  that 
mode  of  transit,  especially  in  foul  weather ;  yet  there  may  always 
be  seen  ladies  elegantly  attired  promenading  and  crossing  the 
streets  at  every  possible  angle.  When  it  is  the  fashion,  as  is  most 
generally  the  case,  for  the  robe  of  a  lady's  dress  to  fall  so  low  as 
to  sweep  the  pavement,  muddy  streets  would  be  to  some  females 
a  matter  of  real  embarrassment ;  but  not  so  with  the  fair  Parisians. 
They  resolve  the  matter  at  once,  by  gathering  up  with  the  utmost 
sang  froid,  their  gown,  and  not  unfrequently  skirts  and  all,  com- 
pletely away  from  all  contact  of  the  envious  element  below,  —  dis- 
playing to  the  more  curious,  the  perfect  contour  of  the  lower 
nether  limbs  far  more  than  would  meet  the  approval  of  the  fasti- 
dious. This  practice  cannot  but  strike  very  oddly  an  American, 
accustomed  as  he  is  at  home  to  a  degree  of  fastidiousness  in  the 
manners  of  the  fair  sex,  approaching  to  squeamishness.  Accord- 
ingly, it  is  with  them  a  subject  of  general  and  Hvely  remark,  and 
not  unfrequently  of  severe  animadversion.  The  American  lady 
in  Paris  is,  of  course,  at  first  a  little  shocked ;  but  the  repetition 
of  the  sight,  and  the  perfect  indifference  with  which  it  is  regarded 
by  the  Parisians  themselves,  gradually  efface  the  feeling  of  indeli- 
cacy which  first  arises.  I  would  not  speak  positively  upon  a  sub- 
ject so  much  a  matter  of  taste,  but  laying  prejudices  aside,  and 
viewing  the  thing  in  a  rational  and  candid  light,  it  may  be  fairly 
doubted  whether,  after  all,  the  custom  is  so  very  reprehensible. 
The  question  will  arise  to  an  impartial  mind,  why  it  may  be  re- 
garded more  unmodest  to  reveal  a  neatly-laced  ankle,  enveloped 
in  nice  silk  hose,  when  demanded  by  necessity,  than  to  display 


CHAMBER  OF  DEPUTIES.  159 


ostentatiously  the  arms  and  breast.  The  truth  may  be,  that  we 
are  wont  to  decide  upon  forms  of  propriety,  by  some  standard  in 
our  own  mind,  and  this  standard  may  be  the  result  of  little  else 
than  certain  accidental  conventionaUsms.  Nothing  is  more  com- 
mon for  us,  when  abroad,  than  to  decide  upon  things  as  they  square 
with  our  preconceived  notions.  Thus,  whether  we  judge  aright  or 
not,  will  depend  upon  the  justness  of  our  standard,  and  not  upon 
the  thing  itself.  Perhaps  it  would  be  a  better  rule  to  ibllow  na- 
ture and  common  sense.  Again,  let  us  look  through  the  medium  of 
pure  intention.  An  evil  imagination  will  lend  a  coloring  of  debase- 
ment to  the  most  simple  act.  Honni  soil  qui  mal  y  pense,  is  a  good 
motto.  The  lady  of  elevated  taste,  will  be  simple  and  natural,  — 
avoiding  on  the  one  hand  unnecessary  display,  and  on  the  other, 
prudery. 

I  made  to-day  an  unsuccessful  eflfort  to  gain  admittance  to  the 
Chamber  of  Deputies,  during  a  session  of  its  members.  The 
proper  officers  to  whom  I  applied  in  person  at  the  Palais  Bourbon 
(which  is  the  name  of  the  edifice  where  the  chamber  is  held),  for 
a  ticket  of  admission,  informed  me  that  I  should  address  them  in 
writing.  On  leaving,  1  noticed  a  long  file  of  some  fifty  persons, 
making  what  the  French  term  the  queue,  before  the  closed  door  at 
the  east  wing  of  the  building.  They  were  waiting  with  the  hope 
of  getting  admittance  to  the  free  gallery  of  the  chamber ;  but  as 
this  accommodates  but  about  twenty-five  persons,  it  is  not  easy  to 
see  what  rational  hope  the  hindermost  could  have  entertained 
of  success,  unless,  indeed,  they  expected  that  some  before  them, 
weary  of  waiting,  would  leave  before  the  hour  for  opening  the 
door.  The  powerfully  excited  and  deeply  interesting  state  of  the 
discussion  upon  the  subject  of  foreign  afiairs,  having  fully  aroused 
the  highest  talent  of  the  Chamber,  had  lent  great  intensity  to  the 
desire,  always  strong,  to  witness  the  eloquent  and  thrilling  debates. 


160  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


The  doors  were  to  be  opened  at  twelve  o'clock,  m.,  yet  it  was  now 
only  ten  a.  m.  ;  and  some  had  been  there,  I  was  told,  since  eight 
in  the  morning,  —  so  eager  was  the  general  desire  for  admission. 

The  Chamber  of  Deputies,  the  popular  branch  of  the  Legisla- 
ture, was  about  the  only  public  place  difficult  of  access  to  a  respect- 
able foreigner,  in  the  French  capital.  The  narrow  gallery  was 
always  filled,  when  the  debates  were  at  all  interesting,  by  a  class 
of  idlers  who  could  afford  to  wait  outside  in  the  street  some  two 
or  three  hours.  A  few  more  persons  were  admitted  by  ticket, 
which  was  obtained  on  application  to  Messrs.  the  Questeurs  at  the 
Palais  ;  but  the  limited  number  thus  favored,  bore  no  proportion 
to  the  pressing  applications.  The  Minister  from  your  government 
had  no  power  in  the  premises,  except  to  loan  you  his  own  ticket 
to  his  private  box.  Hence,  many  who  tarried  but  a  short  time  in 
Paris,  had  to  go  away  without  having  their  desires  in  this  particu- 
lar gratified. 

On  my  way,  I  looked  into  the  Hotel  des  Invalids.  Paris  is  mu- 
nificent in  establishments  of  a  benevolent  character,  —  of  asylums 
devoted  to  the  support  of  the  aged  and  infirm ;  but  by  far  the 
most  important,  both  on  account  of  the  grandeur  of  its  buildings, 
and  the  benefits  which  it  confers  upon  its  inmates,  is  the  Hotel  des 
Invalids.  It  is  intended  for  the  support  of  disabled  officers  and 
soldiers,  or  such  as  have  been  in  active  service  upwards  of  thirty 
years.  The  institution  supports,  at  present,  upwards  of  five  thou- 
sand of  these  scarred  and  disabled  veterans,  —  fading  mementos 
of  the  military  glory  of  France. 

The  edifice  was  erected  in  1670,  by  that  magnificent  monarch, 
Louis  XIV,  who  sought  a  building  and  institution  worthy  of  his 
services,  and  the  grandeur  he  wished  to  impress  upon  his  reign. 
Napoleon,  whose  mortal  remams  sleep  beneath  its  gilded  dome, 
changed,  if  I  remember  rightly,  its  original  destination,  and  con- 


HOTEL  DES  INVALIDS.  161 


verted  it  into  a  hallowed  home  for  the  noble  and  brave  ■whom 
Mars  had  spared  the  envious  stroke  of  death  in  the  gory  field  of 
war.  The  luminous  sagacity  of  the  great  captain  could  not  but 
see  how  much  of  inspiration  it  would  lend  to  the  mihtary  genius 
of  the  country,  as  well  as  aid  to  embalm  his  o^vn  memory  in  the 
gratitude  of  his  soldiers,  thus  in  providing  for  them  a  grand  retreat 
to  surround  then-  declining  years  with  a  mellow  halo  of  mild  and 
awakening  associations. 

It  is  a  vast  and  splendid  establishment,  and  is  a  conspicuous 
object  from  a  distance,  on  account  of  its  gilded  dome,  lantern,  and 
spire,  rising  to  the  height  of  three  hundred  and  twenty-three  feet 
above  the  floor.  It  is  situated  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Seine, 
opposite  the  Champs  Elysees,  and  the  enclosure  occupies  some 
sixteen  acres  of  ground.  The  immense  esplanade  in  front  of  the 
Hospital,  extending  down  to  the  Seine,  is  laid  out  with  much  taste 
with  gravelled  walks,  trees,  and  shrubbery.  The  trees  arc  so  ar- 
ranged, that  while  they  afford  a  most  grateful  promenade  and 
shelter  to  the  old  soldiers,  open  a  beautiful  vista,  through  which  is 
heightened  the  majesty  of  the  edifice,  —  the  whole  fa9ade  of  which 
is  thus  uncovered,  and  may  be  seen  at  a  great  distance.  Boule- 
vards planted  with  trees  surround  the  monument,  where  terminate 
in  a  focus  four  grand  streets.  A  fountain  of  simple,  but  elegant 
construction,  sports  into  the  air  several  beautiful  jets,  in  the  midst 
of  the  esplanade,  which  is  crossed  by  three  streets  leading  to  tlie 
military  school,  and  to  the  Champs  de  Mars.  The  esplanade  is 
separated  from  the  first  court  by  a  fosse  furnished  with  twelve 
pieces  of  cannon,  in  the  midst  of  which  a  bridge,  closed  by  a  beau- 
tiful gate,  gives  entrance  to  the  noble  asylum  of  valor.  The  edi- 
fice is  comiX)sed  of  five  courts  of  equal  form  and  size,  surrounded 
by  buildings  five  stories  in  height,  and  covers  a  space  of  neai'ly 
seven  acres. 

14* 


162  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


The  churcli  of  the  establishment  is  indebted  for  its  noble  ap- 
pearance, principally  to  its  magnificent  dome,  supported  by  twenty 
pairs  of  composite  pillars.  It  is  considered  the  master-piece  of 
French  architecture,  and  is  thought  to  rival  in  beauty  —  though 
of  inferier  propoi'tions  —  the  celebrated  domes  of  St.  Paul's  in 
London,  and  St.  Peter's  at  Rome.  As  it  was  undergoing  repairs, 
I  did  not  gain  access  to  the  interior  of  the  dome.  I  could  per- 
ceive, however,  that  it  is  undoubtedly  very  rich  in  architectural 
ornament,  sculpture,  painting,  carving,  and  gilding ;  yet,  to  my 
untutored  eye,  the  dome  appeared  too  elongated,  and  to  have  too 
much  elevation,  for  the  proportionate  height  of  the  main  build- 
ings. 

The  interior  halls  are  named  after  the  great  battles  of  the  em- 
peror, Austerlitz,  Wagram,  etc.  The  library  is  in  the  first  stage 
of  the  pavilion,  and  commands  a  handsome  view  of  the  Champa 
Elysees  and  the  Avenue  de  Neuilly.  The  interior  of  the  build- 
ings is  everywhere  ornamented  with  statues,  groups,  antiques, 
bass-reliefs,  paintings, —  most  of  them  having  significant  allusion 
to  ideas  of  martial  glory,  or  to  the  distinguished  actors  in  the 
military  history  of  the  empire  and  the  republic.  The  walls  of  the 
interior  of  the  church  were  festooned  with  national  flags  wrested 
from  the  enemy  in  the  astounding  victories  of  the  empire  and  the 
republic.  Almost  all  the  nations  of  Europe  were  represented  by 
these  fading  testimonials  of  the  national  prowess.  Many  of  them 
were  tattered,  thus  faintly  showing  how  desperate  had  been  the 
struggle  on  the  one  part  to  retain,  and  on  the  other  to  bear  off,  as 
trophies  of  victory,  these  banners  —  not  of  love,  good-will,  and 
peace  on  earth,  but  of  hatred,  revenge,  and  direful  carnage. 

The  crowning-interest  of  this  grand  establishment  is  the  tomb 
of  Napoleon,  in  the  chapel  of  St.  Jerome.  I  was  not  permitted  to 
visit  the  spot,  where  repose  in  the  calm  and  severe  dignity  of 


HOTEL  DES  rNVALlDS.  163 


death,  —  investing  the  immediate  presence  with  a  sublime  awe,  — 
the  man  who  had  broken  up  the  despotic  institutions  of  a  thousand 
years,  and  changed  the  face  of  Europe  and  the  world. 

Besides  pensioned  officers,  there  are  sub-officers  and  privates  who 
are  boarded,  lodged  and  clothed,  and  receive  a  monthly  stipend,  va- 
rying according  to  rank.  The  dormitories  contain  each  from  fifty  to 
sixty  beds ;  besides  which,  there  are  large  infirmaries  for  the  sick. 
All,  except  field-officers,  mess  at  the  public  tables,  and  wear  the 
same  uniform.  Dinner  is  served  at  twelve  o'clock,  M.,  a  departure 
from  the  French  custom.  The  dining-room  was  ample,  the  walls 
of  which  were  handsomely  painted  in  fresco  ;  but  I  was  not  per- 
mitted to  inspect  the  cusine,  on  account  of  the  inconvenience  of 
the  hour. 

The  Hotel  des  Invalids  is  under  the  especial  surveillance  of  the 
minister  of  war.  A  marshal  of  France  commonly  officiates  as 
governor.  The  council  of  administration  is  composed  of  military 
officers  of  the  highest  grade,  with  eminent  statesmen.  The  most 
skilful  physicians  of  the  army  prescribe  for  such  as  may  be  sick, 
who  are  tended  by  the  gentle  and  humane  hand  of  the  Sisters  of 
Charity. 

The  different  inmates  whom  I  met,  in  traversing  the  building, 
dispensed  the  usual  civilities  of  courtesy,  with  a  respectful  but 
lofty  bearing.  They  seemed  impressed  with  a  profound  sentiment 
of  the  grandeur  of  that  brilliant  period  in  French  history,  of  which 
they  were  the  sad  remaining  vestiges.  How  could  it  have  been 
otherwise  ?  For  how  full  had  been  their  experience  of  wliat  lends 
intense  force  to  the  energy  of  the  soul  ?  What  scenes  of  sublime 
and  awful  reality  had  passed  before  their  eyes  to  fill  the  page  of 
reminiscences  in  the  book  of  life  !  And  now,  what  visions  of 
Austerlitz,  Marengo,  Borodino,  etc.,  sifted  with  fiery  vividness 
through  their  fading  memories !     They  had  many  of  them  wit- 


164  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


nessed  the  rising  majesty,  the  noon-day  splendor,  and  the  setting 
rays  of  that  splendid  meteor,  which  had  intoxicated  France  with 
its  glory,  and  flooded  Europe  with  its  dazzling  beams.  And  now 
they  were  guarding,  with  a  sentiment  of  deep  and  pious  reverence, 
the  ashes  of  the  sublime  spirit  who  had  been  removed  from  his 
sea-girt  prison  to  repose  in  the  bosom  of  his  own  French  people. 
From  the  Hotel  des  Invalids,  I  went  to  the  Military  School.  It 
was  founded  in  1751,  by  Louis  XV,  as  an  establishment  of  educa- 
tion, for  the  gratuitous  instruction  of  five  hundred  poor  gentlemen, 
the  sons  of  deceased  officers.  They  receive  here,  of  course,  a 
military  education,  and  are  especially  trained  in  the  spirited  and 
graceful  accomplishment  of  horsemanship.  Its  form  is  that  of  a 
parallelogram,  occupying  an  area  of  fifteen  hundred  feet  in  length, 
and  eight  hundred  in  width,  and  comprises  six  buildings,  and  fifteen 
courts  and  gardens.  In  the  dome,  crowning  the  edifice,  is  a  clock 
supported  by  two  figures,  Time  and  Astronomy.  There  is  also, 
in  the  establishment,  an  observatory. 

The  Champ  de  Mars  is  a  vast  parallelogram  of  two  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  length,  or  more  than  half  a  mile  ; 
and  nine  hundred  and  sixty -nine  feet  in  Avidth  ;  extending  from 
the  Military  School  to  the  banks  of  the  Seine.  The  level  surface 
is  broken  by  no  trees  or  shrubbery.  It  has  served  various  pur- 
poses, and  the  spot  brings  up  to  the  mind  familiar  with  the  history 
of  Paris,  some  thrilling  incidents  in  its  eventful  periods.  It  has 
not  only  been  employed  for  the  exercise  and  review  of  the  pupils 
of  the  school,  and  the  National  Guards  of  the  city,  but  it  has 
served,  at  different  times,  for  public  fetes,  and  political  gatherings. 
In  the  stormy  days  of  the  old  revolution,  it  was  the  scene  of  many 
midnight  orgies,  as  well  as  the  rendezvous  of  many  a  foul  plot,  or 
demoniac  machination.  Here  the  first  mayor  of  Paris  lost  his 
head,  and  other  dark  deeds  of  blood  shade  the  memory  of  the  place. 


KINDNESS  OF  A  FRUIT-WOMAN.  1G5 


It  is  now  used  by  the  pupils  of  the  school  as  a  race-course,  and  for 
grand  reviews. 

On  my  return,  becoming  embarrassed  as  to  my  route,  I  made 
inquiries  of  a  woman  tending  a  fruit-stand,  at  the  corner  of  two 
streets.  The  good-hearted  creature,  not  satisfied  with  pointing  out 
to  me  my  way,  left  her  little  bazaar  with  a  lad,  and  actually  accom- 
panied me  at  least  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  that  I  might  be  the  more 
sure  of  finding  my  place  of  destination.  The  pleasure  of  con- 
ferring a  favor  seemed  to  lend  a  glow  and  vivacity  to  her  nature, 
and  she  chatted  upon  all  subjects  with  the  utmost  simplicity  and 
animation,  evincing  not  unfrequently  a  degree  of  intelligence  and 
discrimination  far  above  her  condition  in  hfe.  Her  kindness, 
natural  manner,  and  spirituality  of  expression  quite  charmed  me ; 
but  her  familiarity,  in  any  other  than  a  French  woman,  might  have 
been  misconstrued.  While  referring  to  the  great  number  of 
strangers  in  Paris,  she  suddenly  turned  the  question  by  saying, 
"  But,  sir,  of  what  country  are  you,  may  I  ask  ?  "  You  can,  of 
course,  very  easily  divine,  replied  I.  Fixing  a  fuU,  but  placid 
look  upon  me  for  a  moment,  she  suddenly  burst  out  in  a  kind  of 
good-natured  petulance,  declaring  with  emphasis,  that  I  was  really 
inexplicable,  —  that  I  certainly  had  the  accent  of  an  Englishman, 
but  the  unmistakable  features  of  an  Italian. 

This  woman  was  not  at  all  singular  in  her  manner,  for  a  Paris- 
ian. The  traits  of  character  she  displayed  were  such  as  are  com- 
mon among  the  female  populace.  The  stranger  does  not  meet 
here  with  that  affectation  and  reserve  often  found  elsewhere  ;  on 
the  contrary,  all  is  simple,  natural,  and  cordial.  All  the  women 
among  the  lower  orders  of  Paris,  whom  my  business  furnished  a 
pretext  to  address  (and  I  took  particular  pains  to  get  the  greatest 
possible  number  of  examples),  evinc(;d,  without  a  single  exception, 
the  same  easy  and  unaffected  style  in  their  intercourse.     They 


166  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


would  always  enter  into  the  very  spirit  of  my  demand  with 
promptness,  ardor,  and  apparent  disinterestedness,  and  would  even 
take  special  pains  not  only  to  furnish  me  with  all  the  information 
in  their  power,  about  what  I  wished,  but  to  render  me  such  further 
aid  as  was  possible.  And  this  complaisance  did  not  seem  to  arise 
from  a  calculated  habit,  or  even  from  formal  politeness,  but  ap- 
peared to  spring  from  a  natural  spontaneity  of  goodness.  If  the 
conversation  became  discursive,  she  would  roam  with  me,  Avith 
great  naturalness  and  vivacity  of  manner,  broaching  any  subject, 
ti'eating  it  with  perfect  freedom,  and  never  failing  to  impart  to  it 
a  peculiarly  lively  interest  from  the  brilliant  hues  of  her  own 
mind.  The  different  postures  and  movements  of  the  body,  and 
the  expression  of  the  countenance,  were  all  free,  open,  and  in 
keeping  with  the  intellectual  character.  An  American,  accus- 
tomed to  the  staid,  and  almost  prudish,  deportment  of  his  own 
fair  countrywomen,  is  at  first  confounded  at  a  style  of  manners  so 
different ;  but  he  cannot  help  but  be  in  the  main  highly  pleased 
with  the  change,  and  the  new  feature  will  be  sure  to  improve 
upon  acquaintance.  The  truth  is,  we  cannot  but  love  even 
the  semblance  of  truthfulness  and  simplicity ;  and  nowhere  are 
these  traits  so  fascinating  as  in  woman.  I  am  not  certain,  how- 
ever, but  that  this  freedom  of  manner  would  not  more  easily 
expose  the  female  to  rudeness  with  the  unmannerly  of  the  rougher 
sex,  and  that  it  would  not  tend  to  weaken  the  barriers  which  sur- 
round what  is  most  lovely  in  woman.  Modesty  is,  indeed,  the 
priceless  gem  in  the  brilliants  of  woman's  character,  and  we  are 
wont  to  show  the  estimation  in  which  we  hold  the  valuable  pearl, 
by  hedging  it  in  with  what  we  call  by  different  names,  —  such  as 
prudent  reserve,  becoming  dignity,  unobtrusiveness,  etc.;  but 
whether  what  is  thus  saved  can  compensate  for  what  is  lost  by 
the  degenerating  of  these  qualities  into  a  stiff,  prim,  and  cold 


TRAITS  OF  FEJIALE  CHARACTER.  167 


manner,  lending  a  most  uninteresting  trait  to  the  female  character, 
I  do  not  know ;  but  every  one  will  agree,  who  has  been  favored 
with  some  observation  in  this  matter,  that  perfect  delicacy  of 
modesty  is  often  seen  blended  with  simplicity,  grace,  and  vivacity, 
—  each  heightening  and  beautifying  the  other. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

PALACE  OF  THE  LOUVKE — FORMER  RICHNESS  IN  ART — THE 
COMMON  MIND  A  JUDGE  OF  ART  —  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE 
SEVERAL  SCHOOLS  OF  PAINTERS  —  SUNDAY  AT  THE  LOUVRE  — 
INFLUENCE  OF  THE  ART  UPON  THE  MASSES  —  SCULPTURE, 
PETRIFIED  BEAUTY  —  MARINE  MUSEUM  —  ROYAL  INSTITUTION 
FOR  THE  BLIND  —  BENEFITS  OF  THE  NOBLE  SCHOOL  —  PRO- 
FESSOR-LECTURER    OF    CHEMISTRY  —  GARDEN     OF     PLANTS 

DESCRIPTION  —  ADULT    AND    JUVENILE    EVENING    SCHOOLS. 

The  Palace  of  the  Louvre,  a  magnificent  edifice,  the  origin  of 
which  is  unknown,  was  rebuilt  from  the  ruins  upon  the  spot,  in 
1528,  by  Francis  I,  who  ordered  Peter  Lescot  to  construct  for 
him  a  palace  worthy  of  a  king  of  France,  and  of  the  century  in 
which  he  lived.  It  was  enlarged  and  improved  by  subsequent 
sovereigns,  when  Louis  XIV,  wishing  to  unite  it  with  the  Tuile- 
ries,  invited  the  most  skilful  architects  of  Europe  to  furnish  him 
with  plans.  None  of  the  foreign  nor  the  French  architects  who 
had  accepted  the  invitation,  were  able  to  satisfy  the  luxurious 
monarch.  The  cavalier  Bemin,  the  most  famous  architect  of 
Italy,  was  then  called  to  Paris,  but  he  was  not  more  successful. 
At  length,  the  physician  Claude  Pernault  proposed  the  present 
magnificent  perystile,  which  is  justly  esteemed  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  pieces  of  modern  architecture.  Its  construction  com- 
menced in  1666,  and  ended  in  1670. 

The  building  is  quadrangular,  enclosing  a  court  of  some  four 
hundred  by  five  hundred  feet,  which  is  entered  from  the  east  by  a 


PALACE  OF  THE  LOUVRE.  169 

noble  portal.  This  front,  five  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  long, 
is  adorned  with  twenty-eight  double  Corinthian  columns,  and  is 
indeed  a  fine  specimen  of  architecture.  The  other  sides  of  the 
quadrangle,  both  within  and  without,  though  less  elegant,  are  very 
striking,  both  from  their  extent  and  their  style.  In  the  middle  of 
the  court,  rises  upon  a  pedestal  of  white  marble,  ornamented  with 
two  bass-reliefs,  the  equestrian  statue  in  bronze,  of  the  Duke  of 
Orleans,  eldest  son  of  the  late  king  Louis  Phillippe.  The  prince 
holds  his  sword  in  the  attitude  of  command,  and  the  general  air  is 
lofty  and  imposing. 

The  Louvre  was  formerly  a  kingly  residence,  but  is  now  devo- 
ted to  the  royal  museum  of  painting  and  sculpture,  forming  one  of 
the  most  extensive  collections  in  Europe.  During  the  latter  years 
of  the  reign  of  Napoleon,  this  gallery  was  the  richest  and  most 
magnificent  by  far  of  any  that  has  ever  existed.  It  could  then 
boast  of  the  chefs-d'oeuvres  of  Rome,  Florence,  and,  in  fact,  of  the 
greater  part  of  continental  Europe,  caiTied  off  by  the  conquering 
legions  of  France  ;  but  victory  having  deserted  the  eagles  of  Na- 
poleon, these  treasures  were  restored  to  their  former  possessors, 
and  the  Louvre  has  now  no  longer  to  glory  in  the  Apollo  Bclvi- 
dere,  the  Venus  di  Medici,  and  other  matchless  productions- 
Still,  the  collection  is  a  very  extensive  and  noble  one,  and  will 
richly  reward  the  lover  of  art,  in  a  visit  thither.  Eighteen  large 
halls  on  the  ground-floor,  are  filled  with  pieces  of  sculpture,  in- 
cluding the  choicest  treasures  of  the  Villa-Borghcse,  and  many 
works  that  once  embellished  ancient  Rome.  Many  of  them  are 
esteemed  of  great  value.  Five  other  rooms  in  the  basement 
story,  are  devoted  to  the  reception  of  works  by  modern  artists.  In 
1830,  a  large  apartment  was  filled  with  a  collection  of  Egyptian 
antiquities ;  and  there  is  now  a  large  gallery  called  the  Musce  de 
la  Marine,  or  the  Marine  Museum,  comprising  models  and  sections 

15 


170  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


of  vessels,  plans  of  forts,  and  other  curiosities.  The  gi'eat  picture 
gallery,  which  is  on  the  first  floor,  is  approached  by  a  grand  stair- 
case, painted  by  native  artists,  and  comprises  a  suit  of  nine  apart- 
ments,—  the  walls  of  which  are  lined  with  upwards  of  fifteen 
hundred  pictures  belonging  to  the  French,  Flemish,  Dutch,  Italian, 
and  Spanish  schools  of  painting.  The  stranger  at  first  saunters 
through  these  spacious  and  lofty  rooms,  with  their  richly  frescoed 
ceiling,  and  amid  such  a  profusion  of  the  gems  of  art,  in  an  en- 
tranced and  bewildered  state  of  mind.  Intense  anticipation  now 
suddenly  merged  into  the  reality,  the  glowing  associations  of  the 
place,  the  inspiring  agencies  by  which  he  is  everywhere  so  thickly 
surrounded,  hurry  away  the  soul  to  a  region  beyond  the  confines 
of  earth,  while  the  vast  multitude  of  subjects  which  burst  upon 
the  mind,  completely  distract  the  attention.  It  is  thus  only  after 
repeated  visits  to  this  world  of  paintings,  and  a  degree  of  famili- 
arity with  its  entrancing  scenery,  that  the  mind  becomes  sufficiently 
composed  to  study  advantageously  the  individual  works  of  great 
artists,  or  to  compare  faithfully  their  distinctive  merits.  It  would, 
of  course,  be  presumptuous  in  any  but  artists,  or  professed  ama- 
teurs, to  speak  with  lengthened  criticism  of  master-paintings,  es- 
pecially such  as  are  met  with  in  the  noble  collection  of  the  Louvre. 
Yet,  a  novice  in  the  sublime  art,  under  the  influence  of  natural 
emotions,  and  exercising  the  principles  of  common  sense  and  com- 
mon observation,  may  venture  to  give  the  impressions  which  works 
of  art  make  upon  his  mind,  or  indicate  the  emotions  they  give  rise 
to  in  his  breast. 

If  the  end  of  painting  is  to  move,  to  vivify  thought,  to  excite 
emotion ;  and  if  the  success  of  a  production  is  measured  by  the 
force  and  felicity  with  which  it  seizes  and  excites  the  mind  of  the 
beholder,  then  may  not  even  the  uneducated  in  art,  venture  to 
pass  an  opinion  upon  the  moz*e  obvious  and  striking  features  of  a 


PAINTINGS  m  THE  LOUVEE.  171 


picture  ?  To  be  sure  there  will  always  be  much  about  a  painting 
beyond  his  powers  of  appreciation,  —  nice  principles  of  science, 
exquisite  touches  of  art,  etc. ;  still,  if  the  subject  be  within  his 
understanding,  and  the  thoughts  it  is  calculated  to  awaken,  such  as 
find  a  response  in  his  breast,  may  he  not  conclude  with  some  assur- 
ance in  regard  to  the  success  of  the  artist,  by  the  agreeable  effect 
of  the  painting  upon  the  mind  ?  The  observer  may  not  be  able 
to  analyze  his  sensations,  or  trace  them  to  the  spring  of  move- 
ment ;  yet  conscious  of  their  possession,  he  will  not  doubt  the  power 
of  the  hand  that  gave  them  rise.  This  view  may  be  illustrated 
by  the  peculiar  nature  of  oratory.  Here  the  speaker  is  deemed 
successful,  in  proportion  as  he  carries  conviction  to  the  minds  of 
his  hearers,  or  moves  their  feelings  ;  while  the  latter  judge  of  the 
power  of  the  former  by  their  emotions,  without  asking  the  cause. 
The  auditors  may  not  be  able  to  enter  into  the  minutia)  of  techni- 
cal grammar,  rhetoric,  figures  of  speech,  or  even  analyze  the  dis- 
course ;  still  he  judges,  and  at  least  with  some  general  grounds  of 
safety,  of  the  merits  of  eifort,  by  his  own  consciousness. 

It  would  be  a  futile  effort  to  give  a  detailed  account  of  the 
immense  collection  of  the  Louvre.  A  description,  comprising  the 
briefest  account  of  each  painting,  would  fill  a  large  volume.  With- 
out attempting,  therefore,  to  enumerate  the-great  works  which  are 
there  to  be  met  with,  let  me  aim  at  only  a  delineation  of  the 
general  character,  by  which  the  different  schools  of  painting  are 
distinguished. 

The  first  hall  of  the  Louvre,  in  the  picture  gallery,  is  filled 
with  paintings  of  the  French  school.  The  principal  artists,  whose 
works  are  here  exhibited,  are  Nicholas  Poussin,  Claude  Lorrain, 
Vernet,  Le  Brun,  Gaspar,  —  and  the  modern  painters,  Gerard, 
David,  Gros,  Paul  de  Larochc,  and  Eugene  Delacroix.  The 
general  character  of  the  school  of  French  historical  painting,  is 


172  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


the  expression  of  passion  and  violent  etnotion.  The  coloring  is 
for  the  most  part  brilliant ;  the  canvas  crowded  with  figures,  and 
the  incident  selected,  such  as  would  enable  the  painter  to  display, 
to  the  best  advantage,  his  knowledge  of  the  human  frame,  or  the 
varied  expression  of  the  human  countenance.  The  moment 
seized  is  uniformly  that  of  the  strongest  and  most  violent  passion ; 
the  principal  actors  in  the  piece  are  represented  in  a  state  of 
phrenzied  exertion,  and  the  whole  anatomical  knowledge  of  the 
artist  is  displayed  in  the  endless  contortions  into  which  the  human 
frame  is  thrown.  The  French  paintings,  therefore,  although  they 
may  produce  a  striking  or  dazzhng  effect,  at  first,  upon  the  mind, 
and  may  excite  a  degree  of  admiration  ;  still,  they  do  not  possess 
in  the  same  degree  as  the  master-pieces  of  some  of  the  other 
schools,  qualities  which  move  deeply  the  feelings. 

The  paintings  of  Poussin  are  distinguished  for  a  classical  ele- 
gance of  style ;  and  those  of  Claude,  for  a  perfection  of  coloring, 
which  leaves  nothing  to  be  desired.  Le  Brun  was  the  most  dis- 
tinguished painter  of  the  seventeenth  century.  His  works  were 
characterized  by  ease  and  breadth  of  composition,  and  for  re- 
markable grace  and  sweetness.  Vernet  stands  high  among  French 
artists.  His  sea-pieces  are  truly  admirable,  both  for  the  draw-mg, 
and  for  the  feeling  with  which  they  are  painted.  The  room  which 
contains  his  "  Sea  Ports  of  France,"  is  not  one  of  the  least  at- 
tractive of  the  Louvre.  He  painted  from  nature,  and  though  the 
subjects  he  chose  were  not  of  a  lofty  kind,  he  has  treated  them 
with  great  simplicity  and  truth.  His  two  pictures,  Le  Depart  and 
Le  Retour  are  full  of  pathos  and  beauty ;  but  for  grace,  and 
charm  of  coloring,  what  can  rival  that,  known  as  the  "  Broken 
Pitcher  ?  "  The  fresh,  rosy,  and  beaming  countenance  of  that 
young  girl  can  never  be  recalled  without  pleasure ;  nor  is  it  pos- 
sible to  pass,  however  hurriedly,  through  the  great  gallery  of  the 


DISTINGUISHED  PAKTEKS.  173 


Louvre,  without  pausing  for  a  moment,  to  smile  back  upon  that 
lovely  and  ingenuous  face,  as  it  smiles  upon  you  from  the  canvas. 
The  paintings  of  Vernet,  in  this  collection,  are  perhaps  the  finest 
specimens  of  that  beautiful  master.  There  is  a  delicacy  of  color- 
ing, a  unity  of  design,  and  a  harmony  of  expression  in  his  works, 
which  accord  well  with  the  simplicity  of  the  subjects  which  his 
taste  has  selected,  and  the  general  effect  which  it  was  his  object 
to  produce. 

David  was  a  distinguished  pamter,  and  the  founder  of  a  new 
school.  Napoleon  encouraged  and  liberally  rewarded  him.  It 
was  with  the  heroes  of  Greece  and  Rome  that  he  covered  his 
canvas;  and  the  severe  subjects  he  chose,  he  treated  with  charac- 
teristic sternness.  To  touch  the  softer  emotions  of  the  beholder, 
he  never  attempted. 

Gerard  possessed,  in  a  high  degree,  the  art  of  coloring.  His 
drawing,  too,  was  generally  correct  and  pure.  His  Cupid  and 
Psyche  are  among  his  best  pieces.  The  expression  of  the  heads 
is  charming;  the  coloring  fresh,  and  agreeable, — and  the  attitudes 
extremely  graceful. 

Gros  is  esteemed  the  greatest  of  the  scholars  of  David.  His 
portrait  of  Napoleon  is  much  admired.  The  finest  of  his  large 
paintings  is  the  battle  of  Eylau.  But  the  most  important  work  of 
Gros,  —  because  upon  the  largest  scale,  and  in  a  public  edifice,  — 
is  the  Dome  of  the  Pantheon,  already  mentioned  in  the  descrip- 
tion of  that  splendid  edifice.  The  death  of  this  eminent  artist,  in 
1835,  was  a  most  melancholy  one.  Overwhelmed  with  disap- 
pointment and  chagrin,  he  put  an  end  to  his  existence  by  throwing 
himself  into  the  Seine.  With  him  died  the  last  painter  of  the 
time  of  the  empire. 

Paul  Delaroche  was  the  son-in-law  of  Horace  Vernet.  His 
works  are  numerous.    All  the  subjects  have  been  taken  from 

15* 


174  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEA^MVOKLD. 


modern,  and  many  from  English  history.  Among  the  latter,  are 
the  Death  Scene  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  —  a  forcible  illustration  of 
vanity  and  royalty  struggling  with  old  age  and  death ;  the  terrible 
and  touching  scene  of  the  Murder  of  the  Princes  in  the  Tower ; 
Charles  I.  insulted  by  the  Guards ;  Strafford  on  his  way  to  the 
scaffold ;  and  the  truly  pathetic  scene  of  Lady  Jane  Grey  upon 
the  scaffold.  But  of  all  his  works,  the  one  the  most  admired,  is 
his  Saint  Cecilia  playing  on  an  organ  held  before  her  by  an  angel. 
This  was  made  after  his  return  from  Italy,  where  he  had  been 
sent  by  the  government  of  Paris  to  execute  some  paintings  for 
the  Madeline,  —  and  the  painting  partakes  much  of  the  character 
of  the  Florentine  school.  The  calm  and  heavenly  beauty  of  the 
saint,  with  the  simplicity  and  grace  of  her  drapery,  throws  around 
the  work  exceeding  beauty.  It  shows,  too,  that  the  French  are 
capable  of  expressing  high  delicacy  of  sentiment. 

Eugene  Delacroix  is  a  painter  of  great  originality  and  powerful 
imagination ;  his  coloring  is  vigorous  and  effective.  An  admirable 
specimen  of  his  talent  may  be  seen  in  the  gallery  of  the  Luxem- 
bourg. It  is  his  "  Dante  and  Virgil,  conducted  by  Flegias,  crossing 
the  lake  which  surrounds  the  infernal  city  of  Dite."  Another  is 
Cleopatra,  the  fair  Egyptian  queen.  But  his  most  important 
work  is  at  the  Chamber  of  Peers,  where  he  painted  the  Cupola 
of  the  Library. 

You  come  next  to  the  Dutch  and  Flemish  school,  which  is  dis- 
tinguished by  a  character  of  a  different  description.  The  well 
known  object  of  this  school  was  to  present  an  exact  and  faithful 
imitation  of  Nature.  They  did  not  pretend  to  aim  at  the  exhibi- 
tion of  passion,  or  powerful  emotion;  nor  was  it  their  object  to  re- 
present deep  scenes  of  sorrow  or  suffering  which  accord  with 
profound  feelings.  They  selected  as  subjects  the  ordinary  scenes 
and  occurrences  of  life ;  and  the  power  of  the  painter  was  seen 


DISTINGUISHED  PAINTERS.  175 


in  the  exactness  of  the  imitation,  and  the  minuteness  of  finishing. 
Of  this  class  of  painters,  in  particulai-,  were  Teniers,  Ostade,  and 
Gerard  Dow.  There  is  a  very  great  collection  here  preserved 
of  the  justly  celebrated  Rembrandt. 

There  are  forty  pieces  of  the  Wouvermans  here,  all  in  a  fine 
state  of  preservation.  The  works  of  this  artist  are  generally 
crowded  with  figures;  his  subjects  are  commonly  battle-pieces,  or 
spectacles  of  mihtary  pomp,  or  the  animated  scenes  of  the  chase ; 
and  he  seems  to  have  exhausted  all  the  eiforts  of  his  genius  in 
the  variety  of  incident  and  richness  of  execution  which  these 
subjects  are  fitted  to  afford.  These  paintings  are  certainly  beauti- 
ful ;  and  it  is  almost  impossible,  without  having  seen  them,  to  get 
an  idea  of  the  variety  of  design,  the  accuracy  of  drawing,  or  dehcacy 
of  finishing  which  distinguish  his  works  from  those  of  any  other 
painter  whatever. 

There  is  a  large  number  of  the  paintings  of  Vandyke  and 
Reubens.  There  are  sixty  pictures  of  the  latter  of  these  masters, 
in  the  Louvre ;  and,  combined  with  the  celebrated  gallery  in  the 
Luxembourg,  they  form  the  finest  assemblage  of  them  to  be  met 
with  in  the  world.  The  character  of  his  works  differs  essentially 
from  that  of  both  the  French  and  Dutch  school.  lie  was  em- 
ployed, for  the  most  part,  in  designing  great  altar  pieces  for  .splen- 
did churches,  or  commemorating  the  glory  of  sovereigns  in  imperial 
galleries.  The  greatness  of  his  genius  rendered  him  fit  to  attempt 
the  representation  of  the  most  complicated  and  difficult  subjects. 
But  in  aiming  to  tell  a  whole  story  in  the  expression  of  a  single 
picture,  he  attempts  what  it  is  impossible  for  painting  to  accom- 
plish. The  endless  power  of  creation  which  this  splendid  genius 
possessed,  is  seen  in  the  multiplicity  of  figures  which  crowd  the 
canvas. 

It  is  in  the  Italian  school,  however,  that  the  collection  of  the 


176  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

Louvre  stands  most  unrivalled.  The  general  object  of  this  school 
appears  to  be  the  expression  of  passion.  Their  pieces  are  mostly 
of  a  religious  character,  in  which  are  touchingly  portrayed  the 
sufferings  and  death  of  our  Saviour,  —  the  varied  misfortunes  to 
which  his  disciples  were  exposed,  or  the  multiplied  persecutions 
which  the  early  fathers  had  to  sustain.  They  aim  to  awaken 
pity  or  sympathy  in  the  spectator. 

There  are  a  great  many  of  the  works  of  Domuiichino,  and  of 
the  Caraccis,  in  the  collection.  They  bear  a  dark  and  gloomy 
character,  and  are  designed  to  express  deep  and  profound  sorrow. 

Guido  Reni,  Carlo  Maritti,  and  Murillo,  have  a  general  charac- 
ter, but  somewhat  different  from  Dominichino  and  the  Caraccis. 
They  have  limited  themselves,  in  general,  to  the  delineation  of  a 
single  figure,  or  a  small  group,  in  which,  by  a  subdued  tone  of 
coloring,  are  expressed  emotions  of  a  softer  and  more  permanent 
kind. 

The  distinctive  feature  in  the  small  number  of  the  paintmgs 
by  Salvator  Rosa,  is  a  wild  and  original  expression.  In  some 
of  his  pieces  there  is  a  sullen  magnificence  combined  with  splen- 
did ideality,  which  mark  the  profound  poetical  genius. 

But  the  softer  expression  of  Correggio  is  quite  different.  Ten- 
derness and  delicacy  are  his  prevailing  qualities,  and  there  is  a 
softness  in  his  shading  of  the  human  form,  which  is  entirely  un- 
rivalled. He  has  represented  nature  in  its  most  pleasing  aspect, 
and  enrobed  individual  figures  with  all  the  charms  of  ideal  beauty. 

The  single  picture  by  Carlo  Dolci,  in  the  Louvre,  is  in  itself  a 
gem,  and  alone  is  sufficient  to  mark  the  genius  of  its  author.  It 
represents  the  Holy  Family,  with  the  Saviour  asleep.  The  deli- 
cacy and  softness  of  shading  exceeds  even  Correggio  himself,  while 
there  is  a  deep,  spiritual  beauty  pervading  the  whole,  beyond  the 
power  of  language  to  describe.     The  sleep  of  the  infant  is  per- 


FREE  ACCESS  TO  THE  LOUVRE.  177 


fection  itself;  it  is  the  deep  and  tranquil  sleep  of  youth  and  inno- 
cence, subdued  by  a  holy  and  angelic  calm,  unspeakably  beautiful. 

The  works  of  Raphael  aim  at  the  expression  of  a  sublime  feel- 
ing, and  they  possess  a  high  tone  of  spirituality  rarely  reached  by 
the  efforts  of  other  artists.  In  his  larger  pieces,  as  in  the  Trans- 
figuration, the  effect  is  often  injured  by  the  confused  expression 
of  varied  figures  ;  but  in  his  smaller  pictures,  the  genuine  charac- 
ter of  his  transcendent  genius  fully  appears. 

The  Louvre  is  free  to  the  public  on  Sundays,  from  ten  A.  M.  till 
four  p.  M.  It  is  likewise  open  to  artists  on  week-days,  between 
the  same  hours,  and  to  strangers,  on  the  presentation  of  their  pass- 
ports. 

On  Sundays,  the  halls  never  fail  of  being  thronged  with  visit- 
ors. All  classes  may  then  be  seen  promiscuously  sauntering 
through  the  splendid  rooms.  You  will  be  jostled  on  one  side  by 
a  fine  lady,  and  on  the  other  by  a  dusty  workman  in  his  dingy 
blouse  and  wooden  shoes.  The  remark  applies  equally  to  other 
like  places.  Here,  the  humblest  may  have  free  access  to  the  pub- 
lic gardens,  palaces,  buildings,  repositories  of  ai't  and  science,  — 
and  the  humblest  make  use  of  the  munificent  privilege.  This 
having  the  grand  and  beautiful  continually  before  them,  has  the 
sensible  effect  to  elevate  and  refine  their  taste  and  manners,  and 
to  spiritualize  their  whole  nature.  Its  influence  upon  their  char- 
acter may  be  seen  in  the  elegance  of  the  dress  of  the  Parisian, 
and  in  his  polished  and  graceful  manners.  Its  deeper  influence 
lays  the  foundation  for  that  ardent  attachment  to  the  institutions 
and  gloiy  of  France,  which  is  the  vital  part  of  a  Frenchman's 
character. 

On  week-days,  as  I  have  already  intimated,  there  were  in  the 
gallery  of  paintings,  artists,  either  making  complete  copies  of  some 
of  the  pictures  upon  the  walls  before  them,  or  sketching  off"  rough 


178  CRESTS  FROM  THE  GCEAN-WORLD. 


drafts,  to  be  filled  up  at  a  future  time,  thousands  of  miles,  perhaps, 
away.  It  was  interesting  to  watch  the  expressive  countenances 
of  these  young  aspirants,  in  the  difficult  path  of  their  art.  On 
their  faces  varied  emotions  were,  by  turns,  legible,  according  as, 
by  a  happy  touch  of  their  pencil,  they  had  embodied  a  beautiful 
conception,  or  when  the  stubborn  material  refused  to  give  forth  the 
thought. 

The  halls  of  sculpture  are  on  the  ground-tloor.  You  experience 
a  sudden  elevation  of  feeling,  as  you  contemplate  these  gems  of 
heathen  eloquence.  Here  remain  in  a  fixed  and  eternal  repose, 
the  sublimest  expression  of  human  character.  Petnfied  beauty 
perpetually  beams  from  those  divine  forms,  to  animate  and  delight. 
You  cannot  but  reverence  the  geniuses  that  could  breathe  so  much 
life  and  grace  into  the  inanimate  marble ;  that  could  give  such 
expression  to  inert  material,  that  nothing  but  breath  seems  want- 
ing. The  fleshy  roundness  of  those  limbs,  the  ease  and  flow  of 
that  dress,  with  its  delicate  waving,  partly  clinging  to  the  body, 
partly  fluttering  in  the  wind ;  that  delicate  balance  which  alarms 
with  the  expectation  of  movement ;  those  inimitable  features  strip- 
ped of  everything  gross  and  earthly,  and  beaming  with  the  most  ce- 
lestial beauty,  entrance  the  soul  in  a  feeling  of  wonder  and  delight. 
In  gazing  upon  these  symbols  of  purified  thought,  we  are  re- 
minded of  the  Spartan  prayer,  "  Give  us  what  is  good  and  what 
is  beautiful."     Indeed,  beauty  ever  excites  religious  emotions. 

A  marked  difference  between  painting  and  sculpture  is,  that  the 
latter,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  pieces  —  such  as  the  Dying 
Gladiator  and  the  Laocoon,  exclude  all  passion  and  even  emotion, 
and  represent  the  human  mind  in  a  state  of  tranquillity  and  re- 
pose. The  figures  seem  to  be  more  than  mortals,  and  to  indicate 
a  state  in  which  the  unruffled  repose  of  mind  has  moulded  the 
features   into   the  perfect   expression   of  the   mental   chai'acter. 


PAINTING  AND  SCULPTUKE.  179 


They  seemed  possessed  of  that  permanent  inward  joy  and  love- 
liness which  cast  an  everlasting  sunshine  and  beauty  around,  — • 
that  radiance  of  immortal  life  which  breathes  an  eternal  happiness. 

Another  diiference  between  painting  and  sculpture,  consists  in 
the  universality  of  the  latter.  It  is  completely  divested  of  the 
pecuharity  of  the  schools.  The  statues  of  antiquity  wei*e  ad- 
dressed to  the  multitude  of  the  people,  and  were  intended  to 
awaken  devotion  in  all  classes.  They  possess,  in  consequence,  a 
general  character,  and  speak  directly  to  the  common  heart. 
Hence  the  admiration  for  this  kind  of  art,  which  has  survived  the 
lapse  of  time. 

To  communicate  thought  and  emotion,  the  art  of  printing  has 
long  since  taken  the  place,  in  a  great  measure,  of  painting  and 
sculpture ;  still,  so  long  as  a  love  of  the  beautiful  exists  in  the 
human  breast,  these  divine  arts  will  continue  to  be  cherished. 
They  serve  to  embody  thoughts  which  language  has  not  power  to 
utter ;  they  convey  lessons  of  wisdom  and  virtue  to  the  ignorant ; 
and  without  their  aid,  many  a  noble  deed  or  heroic  act  would 
hardly  have  reached  posterity. 

I  was  much  interested  in  the  collection  in  the  Musie  de  la  Ifo' 
rine.  You  there  see  drawings  of  ships,  sails,  masts,  and  every- 
thing connected  with  naval  affairs.  Besides,  there  are  exquisite 
models  of  all  forms  of  vessels,  French  and  foreign,  from  the  full- 
rigged  ship  down  to  the  smallest  craft,  exhibiting  the  different 
kinds  of  naval  architecture  in  every  stage  of  the  process  of  con- 
structing the  vessel.  The  different  improvements  or  changes  that 
have  been  made  from  time  to  time,  were  here  all  curiously  exhib- 
ited to  view.  Here,  too,  are  models  of  the  principal  towns  con- 
taining maritime  arsenals ;  and  one  can  see  L'Orient,  Itochefort, 
and  Brest,  without  the  trouble  of  going  there.  There  is  in  this 
museum,  a  fine  series  of  busts  of  French  naval  commanders. 


180  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


The  Louvre  is  the  grand  central  point  of  art  in  France,  and  is, 
indeed,  rich  beyond  conception.  It  stands  out  in  relief  from  the 
numerous  other  collections  in  Paris  and  other  parts  of  France, 
and,  indeed,  Continental  Europe,  like  a  sun,  diffusing  light  and 
radiance.  The  numerous  grand  historical  facts,  the  many  touch- 
ing incidents,  and  the  abundance  of  thoughts  and  ideas  which  are 
here  displayed,  and  which  may  be  daily  read,  constitute  the  Louvre 
a  grand  and  splendid  book,  unexpressively  rich  in  whatever  ele- 
vates and  refines  the  soul ;  and  its  freedom  of  access  to  the  masses 
of  the  people,  cannot  but  render  it  an  ever-acting  and  powerful 
means  in  forming  the  taste  and  giving  complexion  to  the  thought 
of  the  Parisian. 

On  Wednesday,  Feb.  2d,  I  visited  some  of  the  Primary  Schools 
of  the  city.  The  Frere  who  conducted  the  first  at  which  I  called, 
received  me  with  the  kind  and  polite  manner  invariable  with  that 
remarkable  religious  community  ;  but  as  it  was  the  day  for  reli- 
gious instruction,  he  pointed  out  to  me  another  school  near,  of  a 
similar  grade,  and  sent  one  of  his  pupils  to  accompany  me  thither. 
There  I  remained  the  half  day,  unusually  interested.  The  read- 
ing here  was  much  better  than  in  most  of  the  other  schools  of  this 
class,  but  still,  enough  defective.  They  went  through  a  spelling 
exercise  somewhat  novel  to  me.  The  lesson  consisted  of  printed 
sentences,  which  were  dictated  by  the  teacher,  then  written  by 
the  pupil,  and  afterwards  spelled  orally  by  the  latter.  In  each 
lesson,  some  one  principle  of  grammar  was  exemplified,  and  the 
word  in  which  it  occurred,  was  printed  in  italics.  The  pupil  was 
required  to  state  the  reason  for  his  choice  of  writing  the  word  as 
he  spelled  it.  The  exercise  struck  me  favorably,  as  being  well 
calculated  to  lead  the  pupil  gradually  into  the  grammar  and  phi- 
losophy of  the  language,  while  he  was  gaining  a  practical  knowl- 
edge of  the  form  of  words.     Tlie  order  in  neither  school  was  re- 


INSTITUTION  FOR  THE  BLIND,  Igl 

markably  good.  The  former  consisted  of  two  hundred  pupils, 
with  two  teachers  ;  and  the  same  in  the  latter.  They  were  not 
conducted  on  the  mutual-principle  system. 

In  the  afternoon,  I  visited  for  the  second  time  the  Royal  Insti- 
tution for  the  Blind.  I  was  immediately  admitted  into  the  recep- 
tion-room, in  which  were  several  strangers  in  waiting,  —  and 
among  them,  an  intelligent  German  traveller.  The  director  of 
the  establishment  soon  made  his  appearance,  and  immediately 
took  us  over  the  entire  Institution,  explaining  only  when  called 
upon,  and  then  in  a  manner  so  quiet  and  taciturn,  as  to  show  that 
the  exercise  to  him  was  a  duty  rather  than  a  pleasure.  He  was 
not,  however,  permitted  the  indulgence  of  his  disjiosition  to  silence, 
—  for  our  German  companion,  who  seemed  to  be  particularly  in 
quest  of  infonnation,  and  pertinaciously  bent  on  learning  every- 
thing to  be  known  about  the  school,  w'ith  pencil  and  note-book  in 
hand,  plied  the  director  so  rapidly  and  constantly  with  questions, 
as  to  leave  the  latter  barely  time  to  take  a  long  breath.  All  well- 
educated  Germans  speak  the  French  language  fluently,  —  and  I 
was  forcibly  struck  with  the  greater  ease  with  which  I  understood 
the  German  than  the  Frenchman,  owing,  doubtless,  to  the  more 
distinct  utterance  of  the  former,  and  to  his  native  accent  corres- 
ponding more  nearly  to  the  English  than  that  of  the  French. 

Institutions  had  long  existed  for  the  employment  of  the  blind; 
but  no  effort  seems  to  have  been  made  for  their  instruction,  until 
Hauy,  of  Paris  attempted  it,  in  1781.  The  effort  was  crowned 
with  complete  success,  and  this  unfortunate  class  of  people  are 
now  taught  reading,  writing,  and  ciphering ;  the  mathematics,  va- 
rious languages,  geography,  and  music.  In  the  last  branch,  they 
are  particularly  successful. 

The  present  edifice  was  recently  put  up,  and  is  a  noble  and 
beautiful  one,  comprising  the  improvements  in  school-house  arciii- 

16 


182  CiiESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WOKLD. 

lecture  and  appointments.  It  contains  two  hundred  pupils,  of  both 
sexes,  who  are  permitted  to  remain  eight  years.  Besides  the 
branches,  they  are  taught  various  mechanical  employments,  as 
a  means  of  pecuniary  support.  We  were  interested  in  examining 
the  different  articles  of  handicraft,  in  the  exhibition-room,  made 
by  the  pupils,  —  and  particularly,  to  witness  them  at  work  in  the 
fabrication  of  articles,  both  useful  and  ornamental,  in  which  they 
showed  a  degree  of  cleverness  and  skill  really  surprising  to  any 
one  not  aware  how  one  sense  may  be  made  to  take  upon  itself  the 
natural  use  of  another.  Many  of  the  more  curious  and  elaborate 
of  the  finished  pieces,  that  we  examined,  bore  the  most  scrutinizing 
test  that  we  could  apply,  and  were,  in  every  way,  so  far  as  we 
could  judge,  as  neatly  and  perfectly  finished  as  if  made  by  the 
most  accomplished  artisans.  We  each,  of  course,  purchased  some 
little  article  to  take  away,  as  a  memento  of  the  noble  and  interest- 
ing school. 

We  were  shown  the  neat  and  beautiful  chapel  in  which  they 
are  wont  to  assemble  to  express  their  feeble  adoration  and  grati- 
tude to  the  Author  of  so  many  and  tender  mercies.  We  passed, 
also,  into  the  Salle  a  manger  or  dining-room.  It  was  ample  and 
displayed  the  most  perfect  neatness.  The  tables  were  of  marble, 
and  everything  else  was  in  the  same  costly,  and  substantial  style. 
Many,  if  not  most  of  the  teachers  are  graduates  of  the  institution, 
thus  proving  that,  in  the  opinion  of  the  intelligent  faculty  which 
has  the  care  of  this  eminent  institution,  the  more  gifted  of  the 
blind,  when  well  instructed,  are  equally  competent  and  successful 
teachers  as  the  seeing. 

In  the  workshops,  several  laborers  occupied  the  same  room,  and 
were  permitted,  in  a  moderate  degree,  the  interchange  of  thought 
and  sentiment ;  but  such  as  were  practising  their  lessons  in  music 
were  confined,  each  in  a  separate  apartment;   an  ai'rangement 


EMPLOYMENT  OF  THE  BLIND.  183 


favorable  to  acquiring  that  concentration  of  mental  power,  and 
delicacy  of  perception  so  indispensable  to  reaching  great  excellence 
in  the  sublime  art  of  music.  We  were  permitted  to  peep  into  these 
narrow  and  imperfectly  lighted  practising  rooms  through  a  little 
glass  window  in  the  upper  part  of  the  door ;  and  we  could  not  but 
be  struck  with  the  energy  and  apparent  devotion  with  which  they 
were  practising  upon  the  parts  which  had  been  assigned  them  as 
lessons.  Apparently  they  could  not  have  been  more  earnest  if 
stimulated  with  the  hope  of  winning,  one  day,  the  applause  of  the 
great  world.  Did  such  an  idea  enkindle  their  ardor?  or  was  it 
the  more  natural  and  immediate  influence  of  that  glorious  princi- 
ple of  the  human  mind,  which  loves  to  overcome  difficulties,  — 
heightened  by  the  inspiring  tones  of  the  breathing  instruments  ? 
As  we  passed  along  by  the  rooms  arranged  consecutively  on  either 
side,  the  sounds  from  the  different  instruments,  such  as  pianos, 
violins,  flutes,  etc.,  came  rolling  down  the  long  and  narrow  aisle, 
in  mingled  and  confused  movement,  it  is  true, — but  they  fell  u])on 
my  own  ear  most  gratefully,  both  as  awakening  pleasing  recol- 
lections of  delightful  friends  at  home,  of  the  same  unfortunate 
class  as  the  inmates  of  this  school ;  and  as  giving  rise  in  my 
breast  to  thoughts  of  noble  and  generous  pride  at  the  splendid 
triumphs  of  human  art,  and  the  exhibition  of  God-like  benevo- 
lence of  which  this  institution  is  so  grand  and  beautiful  an  illustra- 
tion. Those  tones,  drawn  from  humble  instruments  of  mere 
mechanical  contrivance,  seemed  to  issue  directly  from  the  deep 
and  living  recesses  of  an  inward  world,  —  from  a  world  of  tliought, 
of  sentiment,  of  emotion,  where  gladsome  spirits,  cut  off  from  the 
distracting  beauties  of  external  nature,  were  revelling  in  the  am- 
brosial fields  of  a  purely  spiritual  existence.  And  who  shall  con- 
fidently assert  tliat  the  touching  deprivation  of  the  inmates  of  this 
school  will,  after  all,  prove  to  them  a  state  of  comparative  greater 


184  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

unhappiness  ?  Their  case,  viewed  in  connection  with  the  grand 
principle  of  compensation  which  evidently  runs  through  nature, — 
equalizing  the  real  condition  of  mankind,  —  assumes  an  aspect 
more  favorable  to  them.  They  are,  indeed,  separated  from  very 
many  delightful  sources  of  enjoyment  from  the  world  without,  but 
may  they  not  be  compensated  for  this  loss,  at  least  in  a  great 
measure,  by  keener  inner  susceptibilities.  They  are  certainly 
spared  many  scenes,  which,  while  they  rend  with  anguish  the 
spirit,  blunt  the  finer  susceptibilities,  as  well  as  removed  from 
much  of  low  and  obscene,  to  tarnish  the  purity  of  tlie  soul ;  and 
when  with  a  duly  cultivated  moral  and  intellectual  nature,  they 
possess  that  source  of  light  and  beauty  within, —  that -everlasting 
sunshine  which  can  be  thrown  on  everything  around,  till  it  reflects 
on  them  wdiat  has  beamed  from  their  own  serene  heart,  and  with- 
out which  the  gorgeous  beauties  of  glorious  nature  are  a  meaning- 
less picture,  and  life,  a  plattitudc  of  insipidities,  —  their  condition 
may  certainly  be  favorably  compared  with  the  generality  of  the 
human  race.  It  is  a  point  of  opinion  that  hardly  admits  of  doubt, 
that  many  a  clear-sighted  man  would  have  his  mental  vision  im- 
proved by  spending  some  portion  of  his  time  in  a  retirement,  in 
which  the  soul  is  driven  back  to  observe  its  own  operations,  and 
seek  improvement  and  enjoyment  from  its  own  resources.  It 
would  serve,  like  Crusoe's  desolate  island,  to  develop  powers  and 
elicit  feelings  of  which  he  was  not  before  conscious. 

The  pupils  whom  we  saw,  were  clean  in  person  and  neat  in 
dress,  and  appeared  cheerful  and  happy,  showing  that  that  agreea- 
ble state  of  the  mind  which  philosophers  call  happiness,  does  not 
depend  upon  circumstances  of  life. 

I  passed  down  into  the  basement-story  under  the  edifice,  in  com- 
pany with  the  German  companion,  conducted  by  the  fireman  of 
the  gloomy  precincts,  to  see  how  the  grand  establishment  was 


SCHOOL  OF  MEDICINR.  185 


heated,  and  supplied  with  •warm  water.  Seven  large  furnaces 
were  in  constant  and  active  operation,  and  the  entire  apparatus, 
which  was  minutely  explained  to  us,  seemed  admirably  adapted 
to  the  end  for  which  it  was  arranged.  Indeed,  there  seemed  to 
have  been  spared  no  expense  to  impart  to  the  entire  establishment 
all  the  advantages  which  science,  art,  and  benevolence  could  be- 
stow; and  I  felt  on  leaving,  an  involuntary  admiration  for  the  en- 
larged benevolence  of  a  people  who  could  have  first  put  in 
successful  operation,  and  have  ever  since  sustained  so  completely, 
so  eminently  a  wise  and  humane  institution. 

Feb.  3d.  I  made  a  visit  to  the  school  of  Medicine,  at  the  Sar- 
bonne.  The  lecture  was  on  chemistry.  I  found  the  room, — 
which  was  circular,  with  seats  gradually  rising  in  an  amphitheatri- 
cal  form,  —  filled  with  students,  a  little  impatient  for  the  com- 
mencement of  the  lecture.  There  might  have  been  an  audience 
of  six  hundred.  The  professor,  a  middle-aged  man,  presently 
entered,  with  a  brisk  gait,  and  immediately  commenced  speaking. 
On  his  appearance,  there  was  a  momentary  suppressed  applause, 
when  all  was  perfect  stillness,  which  continued  during  the  entire 
lecture,  excepting  when  the  professor  indulged  in  a  sailie  d'humeury 
when  there  would  be  a  shght  relaxation  for  a  moment  only,  as  all 
seemed  disposed  not  to  lose  a  word.  The  students  remained  cov- 
ered, and  with  their  port-folios  upon  their  knees,  before  them, 
were  busily  taking  notes.  A  long  counter  before  the  lecturer 
was  filled  with  glasses  and  various  pieces  of  chemical  appa- 
ratus, and  elements  for  combination,  while  behind  him  stood  a 
large  frame  in  which  slid  up  and  down  in  grooves,  and  by  means 
of  puUies,  black-boards  arranged  bt^hind  each  other,  upon  which 
the  eminent  professor  wrote  his  theory  l)y  means  of  symbols.  IIo 
spoke  without  notes,  in  a  fluent,  easy,  and  graceful  manner,  and 
was  evidently  perfectly  master  of  his  subject.     A  slight  stepping 


186  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

to  and  fro,  with  moderate  gesticulation,  gave  a  pleasing  animation 
to  his  manner.  He  was  attended  with  several  assistants,  who, 
disposed  on  either  side  of  him,  performed  all  the  experiments.  It 
was  remarkable  with  what  adroitness  these  manipulators  per- 
formed their  parts,  managing  to  have  the  experiment  come  off  in- 
Tariably,  just  in  the  nick  of  time.  The  professor  would  talk 
rapidly  on,  apparently  without  the  slightest  thought  of  the  experi- 
menter, and  at  the  time  he  would  say  "  There,  gentlemen,  you 
perceive,"  and  on  the  last  word,  the  phenomenon  would  burst  to 
view,  just  as  if  connected  with  it  by  the  law  of  affinity.  There 
was  not  a  mistake ;  no  repeating,  no  blundering,  and  never  a 
moment's  hesitation.  If  it  all  had  been  guided  by  the  most  sys- 
tematic mechanism,  it  could  not  have  been  more  exact  and  sure. 
Several  gentlemen  accompanied  the  professor,  and  remained  seated 
by  the  side  of  him  uncovered,  —  friends  or  acquaintances  present, 
doubtless  by  invitation.  The  lecture  I  listened  to,  was  one  of  a 
course  of  public  lectures  which  come  off  here  every  winter,  and 
which  are  entirely  free  to  everybody.  It  is  a  single  department 
of  the  school  of  Medicine,  a  branch  of  the  University  of  Paris, 
the  great  central  establishment  of  education  in  France.  The 
number  of  regularly-entered  students  in  medicine  is  upwards  of 
two  thousand,  besides  such  as  do  not  choose  to  be  put  upon  the 
list.  Examinations  are  publicly  held  four  times  a  year,  under  four 
professors  appointed  by  the  Academic  Council.  The  examination 
of  each  candidate  must  last  at  least  one  and  a  half  hours,  but  may 
be  protracted  at  the  pleasure  of  the  professors.  All  the  higher 
degrees  are  granted  only  after  severe  trials,  and  numerous  candi- 
dates are  annually  rejected. 


TOMBS  AND  STATUES.  18^ 


GARDEN  OF  PLANTS. 


I  left  for  the  last  time  this  noble  enclosure.  One  at  all  gifted 
with  an  appreciation  of  Nature,  and  imbued  in  the  least  with  the 
spirit  of  revelling  amid  its  endless  varieties  and  matcliless  perfec- 
tions, would  wish  to  linger  here  forever.  It  is  not  only  an  exten- 
sive volume  of  animated  nature,  but  it  is  a  world  of  nature  in 
miniature.  It  embraces  a  condensed  view  of  the  three  kingdoms, 
Animal,  Vegetable,  and  Mineral ;  and  so  extensive  is  the  collec- 
tion, that  there  is  scarcely  an  individual  species  known  in  the 
three  grand  compartments  of  creation  but  that  may  not  here  be 
found  ;  and  all  so  exactly  classified  and  beautifully  arranged,  as  to 
present  almost  at  a  single  glance  the  wonderful  and  endless  riches 
of  the  entire  domain  of  fruitful  Nature. 

It  would  be  tedious  to  recount  the  history  of  this  grand  institu- 
tion, from  its  foundation  by  Louis  XIII,  in  1626,  up  to  the  present 
summit  of  perfection.  The  history  of  the  men  whose  labors  have 
enriched  it,  and  whose  names  and  statues  adorn  it,  is  the  history 
of  the  natural  sciences  for  the  last  two  hundred  years.  Little  did 
the  monarch  imagine  when  he  doled  out  a  few  acres  of  useless 
land  for  a  museum  with  only  three  professors,  that  he  was  prepar- 
ing a  magnificent  temple  for  the  wonders  of  nature,  —  a  temple 
destined  to  become  not  only  one  of  the  principal  ornaments  of  the 
capital,  but  an  honor  to  France  and  even  the  entire  world. 

The  garden,  consisting  of  thirty-three  hectares  of  ground,  lies 
on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  near  the  bridge  of  Austerlitz.  As 
you  enter  by  the  northeastern  gate,  the  splendid  enclosure  pre- 
sents you  the  view  of  a  large  grove  divided  into  four  parts  by 
three  avenues  running  its  whole  length.  The  space  contains  a 
Menagerie,  a  Uotanical  Garden,  with  hot-houses,  a  Museum  and 
Library  of  Natural  History,  a  Museum  of  Comparative  Anatomy, 


188  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


a  Museum  of  Mineralogy  and  Geology,  and  an  Amphitheatre 
with  laboratories  and  apparatus  of  every  possible  description  for 
pubhc  lectures.  The  lectures  are  delivered  by  an  attached  corps 
of  thirteen  professors,  comprising  the  most  distinguished  men  in 
the  kingdom,  and  are  perfectly  open  and  gratuitous.  The  whole 
establishment  is  maintained  at  the  expense  of  the  government,  at 
an  annual  cost  of  about  sixty  thousand  dollars ;  and  it  gives  em- 
ployment to  one  hundi-ed  and  sixty  persons. 

The  Menagerie  is  avowedly  the  largest  in  Europe,  and  the  most 
complete  in  its  arrangements.  It  alone  requires  the  space  of 
about  twenty-four  acres ;  and  the  surface,  which  is  perfectly  level 
by  the  side  of  the  amphitheatre,  varied  pleasingly  in  the  middle 
by  inequalities,  and  terminating  upon  the  quay  in  an  embank- 
ment, communicates  with  the  garden  by  three  fine  entrances.  The 
tame  animals  are  kept  in  fourteen  parts,  —  six  at  the  east  of 
the  building,  called  the  Eotunda,  and  eight  at  the  east  towards 
the  Seine.  Each  of  these  is  again  subdivided  into  as  many  smal- 
ler compartments  as  the  establishment  contains  different  species. 
To  each  park  is  annexed  a  building  conformable  to  the  instinct 
and  mode  of  life  of  the  animal,  into  which  it  may  retire  at  pleas- 
ure. Nothing  can  be  more  picturesque  than  this  site ;  a  move- 
ment of  surface  ever  varying,  heightened  by  the  unique  and 
fanciful  cottage  homes  which  adorn  and  variegate  the  entire  enclos- 
ure. It  would  be  impossible  to  enumerate  all  the  species  of  tame 
animals  and  reptiles  ;  but  suffice  it  to  say,  that  you  can  scarcely 
realize  that  you  have  directly  before  you  all  the  various  animals, 
and  more,  about  which  you  have  read,  or  seen  in  pictures,  which 
you  may  now  scan,  and  whose  very  habits  you  may  now  observe 
at  leisure.  Here  you  see  an  alpaca,  remarkable  for  the  length 
and  fineness  of  his  wool ;  and  a  little  further,  an  African  sheep, 
with  a  long  tail ;  again,  you  meet  with  the  goat  of  Tartary,  India, 


MUSEUM  OF  NATURAL  HISTORY.  189 


and  Upper  Egypt,  besides  different  species  of  Europe.  Near 
them  is  a  Mexican  lama.  Besides  these  already  enumerated,  are 
giraffes,  elephants,  camels,  zebras,  deer,  antelopes,  ostriches,  cas- 
sowaries, etc. 

Towards  the  Seine,  is  a  Menagerie  for  wild  beasts,  composed 
of  twenty-one  enclosures.  There  may  be  seen  several  species  of 
bears,  a  jaguar,  lions,  hyenas ;  but  the  most  curious  is  the  black 
panther. 

The  palace  of  the  lions  forms  a  range  of  strong  cabins,  divided 
longitudinally  into  two  sets  of  apartments,  —  the  inner  being  ap- 
propriated for  the  feeding  and  rest  of  the  beasts ;  and  the 
outer  being  strong  cages,  defended  by  iron  bars  in  front,  where 
the  animals  sun  themselves.  The  large  family  of  monkeys  are 
appropriately  provided  for  in  a  stone  edifice,  which  has  in  front  a 
circular  cage  of  some  fifty  feet  in  diameter,  where  these  mischie- 
vous and  tricky  animals  can  remain  during  night  or  day,  in  cold 
or  rainy  weather.  It  is  warmed  in  the  winter,  and  being  provided 
with  galleries,  ropes,  and  ladders,  affords  o^jportunity  for  these 
singular  creatures  to  exhibit  themselves  much  to  the  amusement 
of  the  crowd.  In  the  palace  of  the  Birds  of  Prey  are  specimens 
of  every  variety  of  eagles,  hawks,  and  vultures,  with  some  others. 
In  other  enclosures  may  be  seen  the  gallinaceous  birds,  the  aqua- 
tic birds,  and  a  great  variety  of  other  families.  There  are 
enclosures  for  the  various  species  of  reptiles.  You  almost  tremble 
to  see  several  species  of  serpents,  coiling  around  each  other  in 
loving  embrace,  with  their  fiery  forked  tongues  in  quick  and  me- 
nacing movement,  or,  peradventurc,  the  great  anaconda  or  boa- 
constrictor,  with  a  slow  and  majestic  movement,  basking  his  huge 
body  in  the  sun. 

The  Museum  of  Natural  History  is  contained  in  a  long  range 
of  buildings  three  stories  high.     A  detailed  account  of  this  vast 


190  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


collection,  in  which  almost  every  class  of  living  beings  has  its 
representative  preserved,  would  fill  volumes.  The  interior  of  the 
building  is  divided  into  six  halls  in  the  fii'st  stage,  five  in  the 
second.  In  the  first  are  the  reptiles  and  fish  ;  in  the  second,  the 
quadrupeds,  insects,  and  shell-fish. 

The  collection  of  fish  comprises  about  five  thousand  individuals, 
and  about  half  that  number  of  species.  They  are  preserved  with 
an  art  so  exquisite,  as  to  leave  in  perfection  their  exterior  form, 
thus  revealing  how  well  the  Creating  Hand  knew  to  vary  his 
gifts.  In  the  midst  of  this  world  of  wonders,  is  the  statue  of 
Buffon,  the  great  French  naturalist.  It  is  draped  in  an  ordinary 
loose  dress,  standing,  in  the  act  of  writing  on  a  tablet  resting  upon 
a  terrestrial  globe.  His  head  is  turned  away  from  the  tablet,  and 
he  seems  intently  examining  the  objects  around.  Under  and 
about  his  feet  are  the  head  of  a  lion,  a  dog  asleep,  a  serpent,  some 
marine  productions,  and  a  large  group  of  rock  crystals.  The 
observer  is  at  once  favorably  struck  with  the  happy  conception  of 
the  artist,  in  combining  with  the  individual  traits  of  the  eminent 
naturalist,  the  noble  thought  of  representing  the  minister  and  in- 
terpreter of  nature ;  and  he  reads  upon  the  pedestal  the  fitting 
memorial  of  BufFon :  3Iajestati  Naturce  par  Ingenium.  Pajon, 
the  sculptor,  is  considered  as  eminently  fortunate  in  delineating 
the  features  and  portraying  the  expression  of  the  great  man,  to 
be  transmitted  to  future  generetions ;  but  BufFon  was  as  great  a 
writer  as  naturalist,  and  he  who  felt  that  the  style  is  the  man,  will 
survive  in  his  immortal  writings,  the  mouldering  atoms  of  tablet 
or  marble.  He  lives  there,  and  will  live,  so  long  as  shall  exist 
the  French  language,  and  the  works  of  nature  which  lent  inspi- 
ration to  his  thoughts.  His  works  themselves  are  a  much  fitter 
eulogy  than  the  inscription  upon  the  pedestal  of  his  effigy. 

The  most  brilliant  part  of  the  Museum  is  in  the  second  story. 


MUSEUM  OF  MINERALOGY   AND   GEOLOGY.  191 


Five  thousand  mammalia,  forming  as  many  species,  appeal*  under 
their  natural  colors ;  in  their  distmctive  features  are  revealed 
their  natural  instincts  ;  upon  their  varied  mien  are  imprinted  their 
qualities  or  powers ;  their  forms,  even,  are  admirably  adapted  to 
the  circumstances  of  the  country  which  produced  them,  and  to 
their  dispositions,  whether  mild  or  malevolent.  The  soul  involun- 
tarily bows  in  humble  adoration  to  the  energy  and  creative  power 
of  such  wonders.  It  experiences  the  same  sentiment,  in  a  more 
lively  degree  perhaps,  in  viewing  a  variety  not  less  astonishing, 
both  in  configuration  and  color,  of  six  thousand  individuals  and 
two  thousand  three  hundred  species  of  birds.  What  exquisite 
richness  of  plumage  have  they !  Every  color,  —  the  purest  gold, 
silver,  azure,  rouge,  and  green,  is  reflected  from  their  glossy 
feathers  with  a  brilliancy  and  lustre  inimitable. 

The  museum  of  mineralogy  and  geology  is  beyond  all  question 
the  richest  in  the  world.  In  the  middle  of  the  gallery  extends 
throughout  its  entire  length  a  series  of  glass  cases,  in  which  are 
admirably  arranged  all  the  minerals  which  form  the  crust  of  the 
earth,  classed  according  to  their  age  and  formation.  These  cases 
form,  tlius  to  speak,  so  many  archives,  in  which  are  inscribed  the 
series  of  all  the  revolutions  of  the  terrestrial  globe.  Here  was 
a  crystal  of  quartz  three  feet  in  diameter ;  beryls,  ten  inches ;  am- 
monites, eighteen  to  twenty  inches  ;  and  many  beautiful  specimens 
of  fossil  fish,  from  one  to  three  feet  long,  in  some  of  which,  not 
only  the  size  and  shape,  but  also  the  color  of  the  scales,  was  dis- 
tinctly discernible. 

In  the  intervals  may  be  seen  magnificent  marble  tables  in  mo- 
saic, comprising  specimens  of  the  various  kinds  of  marble  any 
where  found.  Upon  one  of  them  is  a  huge  stone  which  fell  at 
some  time,  from  the  upper  regions ;  also  an  enormous  mass  of 
iron-ore  of  the  same  origin. 


192  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


In  the  middle  of  the  hall  is  a  noble  statue  of  the  illustrious 
Cuvier.  It  will  be  remembered  that  at  an  early  age,  the  eminent 
man  was  called  to  Paris  to  fill  the  professorship  of  Comparative 
Anatomy,  and  soon  attained  the  highest  distinction  as  a  naturalist. 
The  Cabinet  of  Comparative  Anatomy  formed  wholly  by  him, 
and  his  various  other  works  on  natural  history,  form  an  imperish- 
able monument  of  his  genius.  Cuvier  was  a  protestant  and  Chris- 
tian, and  it  was  delightful  to  see  in  the  labors  which  constituted 
the  basis  of  his  fame,  none  of  those  elements  of  fragility  which 
mark  the  conclusion  of  science  when  opposed  to  the  works  of 
God.  The  statue  stands  on  a  base  about  five  feet  high,  in  his  or- 
dinary dress  as  lecturer,  his  left  hand  resting  on  a  globe,  the  fore- 
finger pointing  into  the  interior,  as  if  directing  attention  to 
some  internal  phenomenon,  while  the  right  hand  is  raised  up 
nearly  in  a  line  with  the  face,  as  if  in  the  act  of  explaining  it. 
On  one  side  of  the  pedestal  is  his  name ;  and  on  another  in  a 
unique  inscription,  a  list  of  his  different  publications.  It  is  highly 
appropriate.     His  works  do  indeed  praise  him. 

The  Museum  of  Comparative  Anatomy  is  in  a  building  to  the 
west  of  the  enclosure.  It  was  commenced  in  1775,  by  Dauben- 
ton,  guided  by  the  profound  genius  of  Cuvier,  who  knew  equally 
well  to  discover  truth,  or  perceive  her  intimate  relations,  or  give 
embodiment  to  her  hidden  mysteries  in  the  noble  form  of  speech. 
The  specimens  are  grouped  so  as  to  present  the  common  resem- 
blances on  which  the  divisions  into  genera  are  founded,  and  the 
particular  differences  of  species  at  one  view,  affording  great  fa- 
cilities for  study  and  comparison.  The  specimens  are  preserved 
with  infinite  art  by  the  injection  of  fluid  into  their  minutest  art- 
eries ;  and  not  only  is  the  human  organization  compared  with  that 
of  diverse  animals,  but  the  different  races  are  compared  with  each 
other ;    such   as   the   European,  Tartar,  Chinese,  New  Holland, 


MUSEUM  OF  COJIPARATIVE  ANATOMY.  193 


Negro,  Hottentot,  several  savage  tribes  of  America,  and  ancient 
Egyptian  mummies.  You  are  struck  with  the  resemblances  and 
diversities.  There  is  also  a  large  collection  of  monsters  and  lusiis 
naturoe.  The  wax  preparations  are  numerous.  There  is  a  room 
expressly  devoted  to  craniology,  in  which  plaster  models  of  skulls 
are  arranged  with  such  taste  and  skill  as  would  delight  a  phrenolo- 
gist. You  proceed  from  surprise  to  surprise  through  the  fifteen 
halls  of  which  the  cabinet  is  composed,  which  contains  more  than 
fifteen  thousand  anatomical  specimens,  and  the  collection  is  rapidly 
increasing. 

The  collection  in  the  vegetable  kingdom  is  immense,  and  the 
classification  and  arrangement  into  orders,  genera  and  species  are 
astonishing  and  beautiful.  Near  the  library  building  is  a  large 
square  filled  with  trees,  that  burst  their  foliage  in  the  spring,  sep- 
arated from  others  merely  ornamental  in  the  summer.  A  second 
walk,  bordered  by  maple  trees,  separates  a  rich  group  of  autumnal 
fruit-trees,  and  these,  in  turn,  are  separated  from  a  grove  of  ever- 
greens. Further  on,  is  a  space  appropriated  for  the  culture  of 
culinary  vegetables ;  then  comes  the  school  for  plants  of  domestic 
economy,  such  as  are  used  for  the  subsistence  of  man,  animals,  or 
employed  in  t^ie  arts.  In  the  first  parterre,  situated  in  the  inter- 
val of  the  broad  walks,  extending  opposite  the  galleries,  are  first, 
flowers,  and  perennial  plants ;  then,  in  an  enclosure  accessible  by 
means  of  iron  gates,  exotic  trees,  and  especially  such  as  are  resin- 
ous, which  are  undergoing  a  process  of  acclimation.  In  the  mid- 
dle of  this  is  a  beehive,  and  then  a  school  for  the  cultivation  of 
flowers.  Several  square  plots,  in  the  vicinity,  are  used  for  the 
cultivation  of  medicinal  flowers.  The  entire  interval  extending 
to  the  right  of  the  broad  walk,  bordered  with  lindens  to  the  Swiss 
valley,  is  devoted  to  tlie  study  of  six  thousand  species  or  varieties 
of  fruit-trees  growing  on  the  French  soil.     A  little  further  on  is 

17 


194  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

the  Botanic  school,  or  seven  thousand  plants  arranged  according 
to  the  natural  method  of  Jussieu.  Each  is  labelled  according  to 
its  name,  family,  and  class. 

Besides  these  are  extensive  hot-houses,  in  which  are  beautifully 
arranged  every  species  of  exotic  plant  that  requires  a  warmer 
climate  than  that  of  Paris.  The  array  here  presented  is  actually 
overpowering,  and  the  mind  is  staggered  under  such  a  wilderness 
of  vegetable  wonder  and  beauty. 

All  the  ground  not  actually  appropriated  for  a  specific  scientific 
purpose,  is  delightfully  embellished  with  trees,  shrubs,  plants, 
flowers,  or  broad  and  well  gravelled  walks,  to  charm  and  delight 
you  at  every  step.  The  natural  inequalities  of  the  ground  are 
preserved,  in  order  to  present  the  greatest  possible  variety,  and  it 
is  so  adorned  as  to  exhibit  the  wildness  and  luxuriance  of  nature, 
heightened  by  the  gilding  hand  of  art. 

You  pass  on  to  the  upper  garden,  through  enclosures  of  fniit- 
trees  and  hot-beds,  towards  the  rising  gi-ounds,  on  which  are 
erected  the  magnificent  conservatories.  Between  these,  is  a  path 
leading  to  a  httle  elevation,  called  the  Labyrinth,  on  the  ascent  of 
which  is  a  noble  Cedar  of  Lebanon,  four  feet  in  diameter  at  the 
base,  which  was  planted  here  more  than  a  century  ago  by  the  cel- 
ebrated Bernard  de  Jussieu,  who  brought  it  from  England.  It  is 
a  beautiful  tree,  and  appears  not  unworthy  to  be  the  emblem  of 
the  majesty  of  Israel.  Not  far  from  the  cedar  is  the  tomb  of 
Daubenton,  who  devoted  more  than  fifty  years  of  his  calm 
and  laborious  life  to  the  study  of  nature  in  this  museum.  You 
reach  the  summit  of  the  hill  by  a  spiral  path  bordered  with  ever- 
green. Upon  the  summit  is  a  kiosk,  or  iron  tux'ret,  from  which  a 
good  view  of  the  city  may  be  had. 

Such  is  a  brief  and  necessarily  imperfect  sketch  of  this  minia- 
ture world  of  nature.     No  description,  however  elaborate  or  col- 


EVENING  SCHOOL.  I95 


ored,  can  convey  a  faithful  picture  of  the  original.  To  get  an 
adequate  idea  of  its  wonderful  extent,  riches  and  beauty,  one  must 
actually  visit  it,  and  linger  amid  its  munificence. 

One  evening  I  was  called  on  by  a  gentleman,  whose  acquaint- 
ance I  had  previously  formed,  and  who  very  kindly  offered  to  ac- 
company me  on  a  visit  to  some  of  the  adult  and  juvenile  evening 
schools.  It  was  Monsieur  the  Director  of  the  School  of  Freres. 
On  descending  from  my  room,  I  found  him  in  the  private  saloon 
with  Madame  David,  engaged  in  lively  conversation,  chatting  and 
occasionally  joking  as  familiarly  as  if  they  had  been  old  acquaint- 
ances, although  this  was  their  first  meeting.  "VVe  were  soon  joined 
by  two  or  three  others  of  the  Freres,  when  our  little  party  set  off 
in  lively  mood,  in  one  of  the  omnibuses  which  may  be  found  at 
all  times  in  any  part  of  the  city.  Monsieur  Ic  Directeur  was  in 
excellent  spirits,  and  actually  poured  forth  his  capacious  and  gen- 
erous soul  for  my  peculiar  edification  and  amusement.  lie  was 
beyond  middle  age,  above  the  medium  stature,  and  rather  corpu- 
lent. His  massive  face,  beaming  eyes,  and  open  and  radiant  ex- 
pression, betokened  the  voluminous  and  versatile  nature  of  his 
spirit.  He  permitted  not  a  moment  of  the  time  in  our  passage  or 
return,  to  pass  unfilled.  He  was  at  times  instructive,  caustic,  hu- 
morous, sentimental,  but  always  kind,  gracious,  and  animating. 
In  spite  of  his  religious  garb,  it  was  easily  seen,  that  the  world 
and  its  cares  sat  lightly  upon  him.  He  had  a  smile  for  its  follies, 
a  tear  for  its  miseries,  but  a  willing  heart  and  a  ready  hand  to  ad- 
vance the  good  and  noble  wherever  found.  Of  an  observing 
cast  of  mind,  possessed  of  a  Avell-digested  fund  of  thouglit  and  in- 
formation, with  an  easy  and  api)ropriate  fiow  of  language,  he  was 
eminently  entertaining.  He  was  one  of  those  men  rarely  to  be 
met  with,  in  whose  society  you  feel  a  continual  glow  of  agreeable 
excitement. 


196  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


These  schools  were  recently  established  by  the  city,  for  the  ben- 
efit of  the  laboring  poor.  Only  a  portion  of  this  class  avail  them- 
selves of  their  liberal  provisions ;  yet  the  institution  attests  the 
humane  and  munificent  spirit  of  the  government,  and  refutes  the 
charge  sometimes  made,  that  monarchical  governments  are  neg- 
lectful of  the  improvement  and  welfare  of  the  people.  The 
school  that  we  were  visiting,  was  one  of  the  largest  and  most  suc- 
cessfully conducted  of  this  class,  in  the  city  ;  and  I  was  necessarily 
deeply  interested  in  inspecting  the  mode  of  its  operation,  and 
learning  of  its  character  and  success.  My  friend  the  conducteur, 
who  seemed  perfectly  known  to  every  one  we  met,  took  me 
through  all  the  rooms,  introducing  me  to  the  teachers,  and  some- 
times to  the  scholars,  and  explaining  explicitly  everything  wor- 
thy of  note.  His  very  presence  diffused  around  a  genial  and 
gladsome  feeling  wherever  he  went.  The  scholars  seemed  to  re- 
gard him  with  a  paternal  and  reverential  sentiment  akin  to  ado- 
ration. I  was  struck  with  the  spirit  of  willingness,  and  the  habits 
of  strict  assiduity  which  prevailed  entire  among  the  learners,  and 
the  kindly  and  earnest  disposition  expressed  in  the  affectionate 
tones  of  voice,  and  the  benignant  regard  of  the  teachers.  The 
one  party  seemed  imbued  with  profound  gratitude  for  so  grand 
and  munificent  a  privilege,  and  appeared  determined  to  improve 
the  moments  as  if  each  came  laden  with  golden  opportunities  ;  the 
other  showed  that  they  felt  the  humane  nature  of  their  mission, 
and  would  ameliorate  by  hearty  kindness' the  task  rendered  doubly 
difficult  by  early  omissions.  The  spirit  which  prevailed  w^as  de- 
lightful —  charming ;  it  bordered  on  enthusiasm ;  and,  carried 
away  by  its  sympathetic  influence,  and  the  crowd  of  animating  as- 
sociations which  the  scene  and  occasion  gave  forth,  I  was  filled  with 
deep  emotion.  It  was  certainly  unique  and  profoundly  interesting 
to  see  men  bowed  with  age,  struggling  with  a  manly  heart  but 


EVENING  SCHOOLS.     DRAWING.  197 


•with  a  child's  perception,  to  master  the  mere  elements  of  their 
vernacular  tongue.  Here  were  persons  forty  and  even  fifty  years 
of  age,  who  had  come  up  to  the  place  fatigued  with  the  day's  la- 
bor, cheerfully  yielding  the  small  fragments  of  time  left  them 
amid  the  incessant  and  depressing  toil  for  the  narrowest  physi- 
cal subsistence,  in  order  to  gain  the  keys  of  knowledge,  which 
were  to  unlock  the  portal,  revealing  to  their  eager  gaze  the 
world  of  thought  and  sentiment.  The  muscular  working  of  their 
manly  countenances  betrayed  their  intensity  of  soul,  —  and 
as  they  brushed  from  their  brow  the  sweat  and  dust,  which  in 
their  earnest  desire  for  mental  acquisition,  they  had  not  removed 
before  leaving  their  toil,  I  could  not  but  feel  abashed  and  hu- 
miliated in  view  of  my  own  delinquencies,  —  at  the  thought  of 
hours  misspent,  and  opportunities  misimproved.  It  is  impossi- 
ble for  us  who  have  learned  some  of  the  elements  of  knowledge 
in  our  youth,  to  estimate  their  value,  or  appreciate  the  want  of 
them  felt  by  those  who  were  so  unfortunate  as  to  be  deprived  of 
the  glorious  blessing.  These  early  privileges  were  brightened  into 
our  youthful  mind  imperceptibly,  like  the  gradual  opening  of  the 
noon  of  day ;  while  their  possession  and  noble  results  flowing  in 
upon  our  being  in  broad  and  intermitting  streams,  are  hke  the 
gladsome  and  genial  sunshine  and  dew,  whose  very  universality, 
life-breathing  Iragrance,  and  perennial  beauty,  render  us  indiifer- 
ent  to  their  value  and  loveliness. 

A  feature  of  this  school,  not  unworthy  of  mention,  was  the 
prominence  given  to  Drawing.  I  had  observed  the  large 
share  of  attention  devoted  to  this  branch,  in  the  other  schools 
I  visited,  and  I  thought  to  comprehend  the  reasons  for  the 
course  pursued  ;  but  here,  where  the  learners,  from  the  nature 
of  the  case,  could  not  be  expected  to  be  taken  farther  than  the 
mere  elements  of  reading,  writing,  and  spelling,  it  seemed  an 
17* 


198  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


injudicious  appropriation  of  time,  to  spend  any  of"  it  in  the  ac- 
quisition of  any  branch  of  learning,  but  such  as  constitute,  in 
common  opinion,  with  us,  the  simplest  ground-studies  of  an  educa- 
tion. A  moment's  reflection,  however,  rectified  this  view.  The 
truth  is,  that  the  notions  of  the  French,  and  those  generally  pre- 
vailing, in  this  country,  in  regard  to  the  comparative  value  of 
certain  branches  of  education,  and  particularly  that  of  drawing, 
are  different.  We  are  accustomed  to  look  upon  drawing,  in  a 
course  of  study,  as  ornamental  only,  —  calculated,  at  the  most, 
but  to  cultivate  the  taste  and  elevate  and  refine  the  sentiments; 
but  the  French,  in  addition  to  this  influence  of  the  beautiful 
art,  connect  it  directly  with  the  common  pursuits  of  life,  and 
make  it  an  indispensable  acquisition  in  every  artisan  who  would 
expect  to  excel  in  his  trade.  And  it  cannot  for  a  moment  be 
questioned,  that  the  superiority  of  the  French  m  the  grace  and 
beauty  of  their  fabrications,  can  be  traced  directly  to  the  great  at- 
tention given  by  them  to  the  art  of  drawing.  In  this  school  a 
considerable  pi'oportion  of  the  scanty  time  was  devoted  to  this  ex- 
ercise by  all;  the  walls  of  the  room  were  covered  with  patterns, 
illustrating  every  stage  in  the  progress  of  the  learner,  from  the 
fii'st  rough  lines,  to  the  most  perfect  and  beautiful  picture  ;  and 
the  readiness  and  evident  pleasure  with  which  the  teacher  showed 
you  the  more  successful  efforts  of  the  learners,  commenting,  at  the 
same  time,  upon  his  enviable  talents, —  while  other  branches  were 
omitted,— clearly  evinced  the  value  attached  to  the  attainment  by 
the  French,  merely  in  its  ordinary  relations  to  practical  life.  And 
the  exercise  was  engaged  in  here,  by  the  scholars,  not  as  it  is  too 
frequently  among  us,  merely  to  while  away  the  time,  or  as  a  re- 
lief from  more  ii-ksome  studies,  but  with  a  spirit  of  deep  and 
earnest  enthusiasm,  —  and  the  improvement  made  was  correspond- 
ingly good.     Indeed,  I  was  shown  some  specimens,  executed  on  the 


ATTENTION  GIVEN  TO  DRA\YING.  199 


spot,  which  for  perfection  and  grace  of  outline,  delicacy  and  charm 
of  shading,  and  life-glowing  and  spiritual  beauty  breathed  into  them, 
would  have  done  credit  to  any  artist,  —  but  when  considered  as  the 
productions  of  beginners,  mere  tyros,  in  the  art,  they  were  really 
wonderful.  Our  first  astonishment,  however,  at  such  superior  ac- 
quisition, will  be  diminished  when  we  consider  that  the  French- 
man seems  endowed  by  nature  with  a  peculiar  talent  for  the 
appreciation  of  the  nice  and  beautiful  in  form ;  and  were  it  not  so, 
the  influences  of  his  external  life  could  not  but  form  such  a  quality 
of  his  being.  The  great  attention  given  to  art  throughout  the 
country,  the  vast  gardens  in  which  every  form  of  nature  is  ad- 
miringly displayed,  the  numerous  public  monuments  adorned  Avith 
the  riches  of  ancient  sculpture,  the  vast  piles  of  architecture  every- 
where offering  to  view  their  grandeur  and  magnificence,  the  im- 
mense collections  of  paintings  glowing  with  beauty,  with  which 
Paris  and  all  the  important  towns  of  France  are  filled,  and  all 
entirely  free  and  accessible  to  everybody,  are  so  many  educational 
influences,  silently  but  unceasingly,  forming  in  the  soul  of  the 
native  the  very  spiritual  essence  of  art.  The  Parisian  is  sur- 
rounded by  such  influences  from  infancy  to  age.  The  first  play- 
thing of  his  nursery  is,  it  may  be,  an  exquisite  copy  of  the  Venus 
de  Medici  or  the  Apollo  de  Belvidere  ;  the  fountain  in  which  he 
sports  his  tiny  bauble,  is  filled  with  Naiads  and  Tritons  ;  the  gar- 
den whither  his  nurse  or  governess  takes  him  for  an  airing  is 
decorated  with  statues  and  antiques  ;  indeed,  he  cannot  cast  his 
eyes  up,  or  around,  without  meeting  with  some  object  of  art.  He 
breathes,  as  it  were,  an  atmosphere  of  art,  —  and  so  saturated  be- 
comes his  soul  with  the  forms  of  beauty,  that  he  has  only  to  acquire 
the  rules  of  outward  form,  and  the  spirit  flows  in,  as  by  natural 
accord. 

We  were  led  from  the  ordinary  study-rooms  into  a  small  studio 


200  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


for  moulding  heads  and  busts.  A  student  was  hard  at  work,  all 
covered  with  dust.  He  was  mentioned  to  me  as  possessing  very 
superior  talent,  —  and  having  passed  rapidly  through  the  several 
grades  of  drawing,  crayoning,  etc.,  was  now  finishing  off  in  this 
department  previously  to  his  departure  for  Philadelphia,  where  he 
intended  to  pursue  his  vocation.  He  was  eager  and  minute  in  his 
inquiries  touching  the  United  States ;  and  when  he  learned  that  I 
was  from  Boston,  he  invited  me  to  step  in  some  day,  and  make  hun 
a  call,  when  he  should  be  installed  in  his  new  Western  home, — 
never  for  a  moment  imagining  that  many  people,  residing  in  Bos- 
ton and  vicinity,  never  go  to  Philadelphia  even  for  once  in  their 
life. 

The  school  session  is  between  seven  and  ten  in  the  evening,  and 
is  held  every  day  of  the  week  except  one.  The  teachers  receive 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty  dollars  per  annum. 

We  passed  into  the  basement  story,  and  were  soon  standing  be- 
fore a  large  class  of  juvenile,  indigent,  evenmg-scholars.  They 
were  poorly  clad,  covered  with  the  dust  of  their  labor,  and  had 
the  appearance  of  having  come  direct  from  their  toil  to  the  school. 
Their  countenances  bore  a  depressed  and  saddened  expression, 
but  their  eyes  sparkled  with  youtliful  hope  and  vivacity.  They 
were  deeply  interested,  I  was  told,  and  were  making  rapid  pro- 
gress. Who  knows,  mused  I,  that  here  is  not  developing  genius, 
one  day  to  illumine  the  world  ?  It  was  certainly  a  touching 
spectacle  to  contemplate  this  Spartan  band  of  youth,  who,  con- 
temning the  captivating  recreations  of  children,  had  nobly  decided 
—  even  against  the  immense  odds  —  to  conquer  or  die  in  the  strug- 
gle for  improvement.  The  genius  of  learning  ever  lends  a  listen- 
ing ear  to  such  suitors,  and  never  fails  to  dispense  her  favors 
generously  when  thus  wooed.  The  example  of  these  youth,  giving 
the  few  moments  of  their  time  in  the  intervals  of  their  severe  toil, 


EVENING  SCHOOLS.  201 


to  intellectual  culture,  should  put  to  shame  many  of  our  sons  and 
daughters,  who  find  study  irksome  even  when  enlivened  by  the 
pleasing  and  delightful  circumstances  of  books,  teachers,  appara- 
tus, and  all  the  appointments  which  human  ingenuity  can  invent, 
or  a  noble  benevolence  apply,  to  lessen  the  toil  of  the  student  in 
the  declivitous  path  up  the  hill  of  science. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

PALACE  OF  THE  LUXEMBOURG  —  RICH  PAINTINGS  —  INSTITUTION 
FOR  DEAF-MUTES  —  HALE  AND  CHEERFUL  APPEARANCE  OP  IN- 
MATES —  MODE  OF  TEACHING  —  TEACHERS  OF  FRENCH  —  PAL- 
ACE OF  THE  FINE  ARTS  —  A  NICE  PARTY  OF  COUNTRY  BEAUX 
AND  LASSES  —  CHURCH  OF  THE  MADELINE  —  ITS  MAGNIFI- 
CENCE  RICH  TREAT  AT  THE  PROTESTANT  CHURCH NUNS  AT 

THE  CHURCH  OF  ST.  GERMAIN  l'  AUXERROIS  —  RURAL-RESTAU- 
RANT—  MADAME  DAVID  —  REUNION  OF  OUVRIERS  —  BISHOP  OF 
PARIS DEEPLY  INTERESTING  CHARACTER  OF    EXERCISES. 

On  Friday  I  made  a  visit  to  the  Palace  of  the  Luxembourg. 
It  is  boldly  situated  at  the  head  of  the  rue  de  Tournon,  and  has 
connected  with  it,  on  the  south,  an  extensive  garden,  beautifully 
laid  out  with  Avalks  stretching  through  trees,  shrubbery  and  flow- 
ers ;  and  the  whole  enlivened  by  sheets  of  water,  upon  which  I 
frequently  saw,  in  my  rambles  in  that  direction,  skaters  in  brisk 
and  jocular  exercise.  The  present  edifice  was  commenced  in 
1616,  under  the  direction  of  Marie  de  Medicis.  In  1798,  it  was 
greatly  improved  and  decorated.  Its  principal  entrance  presents 
at  its  extremities  two  large  pavilions,  united  by  a  double  terrace, 
pierced  by  four  arcades.  In  the  middle  of  the  edifice,  upon  a 
quadrangular  basis,  rises  a  neat  and  elegant  cupola.  It  develops 
three  orders  of  architecture  :  first,  the  rez-de-chausse,  —  or  ground- 
floor,  —  exhibits  the  Tuscan  ;  then,  in  the  first  stage,  comes  the 
Doric,  and  the  Ionic  displays  itself  in  the  second   stage.     The 


PALACE  OF  THE  LUXEMROURG.  203 


whole  appearance  is  masculine,  and  singular.  There  are  many 
paintings,  and  some  of  great  value,  in  this  palace.  Among  them 
are  gems,  from  the  pencils  of  Reubens,  Raphael,  and  Benjamin 
"West.  How  indefatigable  must  have  been  the  industr}^,  as  well 
as  profound  the  genius  of  these  sublime  spirits,  especially  the  two 
former,  whose  works  may  be  found  in  nearly  every  gallery  of  con- 
sequence in  Europe !  How  is  it,  that  great  genius  is  so  often 
found  united  to  great  industry  and  perseverance  ?  May  it  not 
be,  that  the  latter  serves  to  give  birth  to  the  former?  Some 
of  these  paintings  are  more  than  two  hundred  years  old,  and 
yet  they  retain,  in  a  good  degree,  their  spirit  and  freshness. 
The  art  is  indeed  noble,  that  can  airest  the  varying  expression, — 
the  faithful  index  of  the  fugitive  emotions  of  the  soul, —  and  trans- 
mit it  thus,  through  successive  generations. 

The  library  is  two  hundred  and  twelve  feet  in  length,  by  twenty- 
three  in  width.  It  is  decorated  with  many  choice  pieces  of 
paintings  and  sculpture.  The  central  cupola  of  the  gallerj',  painted 
by  Eugene  Delacroix,  represents  the  Elysium  of  great  men,  as 
described  by  Dante. 

The  chapel,  which  is  on  the  ground-floor,  is  beautiful,  and  near 
it  is  a  magnificent  hall,  painted  by  Reubens,  called  the  sleeping 
chamber  of  Marie  de  Medicis.  There  are  many  other  things 
here  of  deep  interest,  but  space  would  fail  me  to  enumerate  them. 
Tlie  paintings  struck  me  as  being  larger,  more  liiglily  colored,  and 
to  represent  action  and  violent  emotion  in  a  higher  degree  than 
those  in  general  in  the  Louvre.  Perhaps  it  was  because  more 
of  them  were  of  the  PVench  school.  My  guide,  whom  I  did  not 
fancy,  took  me  hastily  through  the  building,  reciting  his  story  in  a 
monotonous  manner,  to  which  I  gave  little  attention.  Here,  in 
the  gallery  of  j)aintings,  as  in  that  of  the  Louvre,  were  artists  as- 
siduously engaged  in  making  copies  of  some  of  the  smaller  works. 


204  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


After  spending  much  less  time  than  I  could  have  wished  in  this 
interesting  palace,  a  few  moments'  walk  brought  me  to  that  nobly 
humane  asylum,  the  Royal  Institution  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb, 
situated  in  the  Rioe  de  St.  Jacques.  The  building  is  by  no  means 
imposing  in  appearance  ;  but  an  inspection  of  its  interior  shows  it 
to  be  sufficiently  ample  and  conveniently  disposed.  The  superin- 
tendent showed  me  over  the  edifice  with  a  delicacy  of  politeness 
which  in  Paris  extends  even  to  the  government,  and  which  here 
seemed  tempered  with  a  suavity  and  kindness  inspired  by  the  be- 
nevolent influences  of  the  spot.  The  males  whom  I  saw,  were 
scattered  in  the  different  rooms,  intently  occupied  in  various  me- 
chanical employments.  They  were  garbed  in  blouse ;  and  bore  a 
hale  and  cheerfal  aspect,  which  seemed  to  show  that  no  care 
pressed  upon  them,  and  that  no  thought  shaded  by  the  irrevocable 
misfortune  of  their  condition,  was  wont  to  cross  their  minds.  How 
fortunate  the  nature  of  man,  that  can  thus  be  formed  to  the  con- 
tingencies of  any  lot !  The  articles  of  fabrication  shown  me,  were 
even  superior  to  those  made  by  the  blind.  If  not  more  delicately 
elaborate,  they  exhibited  more  solidity  and  a  smoother  finish. 
Indeed,  I  half  fancied  that  I  discovered  traces  of  superior  care  and 
devotion  in  the  nicer  parts,  not  found  in  the  fabrications  of  hear- 
ing persons,  distracted  as  they  are  by  appeals  to  the  external 
sense,  and  hurried  by  an  impatience  to  participate  in  the  gladsome 
notes  of  social  and  musical  life. 

The  sublime  and  humane  idea  of  restoring  to  society  men  whom 
nature  would  separate,  is  due  to  the  Abbe  de  I'Epee.  With  a 
fortune  greatly  disproportionate  to  the  largeness  of  his  soul,  he 
devoted  his  narrow  means  for  the  furtherance  of  his  noble  mission, 
compensating  by  talent,  energy,  and  devotion,  and  by  a  rigid  sim- 
plicity of  life,  for  the  want  of  greater  pecuniary  means.  He  at 
first  assembled  in  his  own  house  forty  deaf  and  dumb  persons, 


INSTITUTION  FOR  THE  DEAF  AaD  DUMB.  205 


boarded  them  at  his  own  expense,  and  after  reserving  the  merest 
pittance  for  his  own  sustenance,  expended  the  entire  of  the  re- 
mainder of  his  estate  in  educating  them,  and  in  founding  one  of 
the  noblest  institutions  that  has  ever  blessed  humanity.  In  the 
Salle  des  Exercises,  is  a  fine  picture  of  this  founder  of  the  school, 
embracing  the  young  deaf  and  dumb  Count  de  Toulouse,  whom 
he  had  educated.  There  is,  moreover,  a  bust  of  the  Abbe  de 
I'Epee,  as  also  one  of  the  Abbe  de  Sicard,  who,  on  the  death  of  the 
Abbe  de  I'Epee,  in  1796,  undertook  the  management  of  the  es- 
tablishment. It  has  since  been  transferred  from  a  convent  of 
Celestines,  to  the  buildings  of  the  Seminaire  de  St.  Magloire, 
where  it  now  exists. 

The  school  comprises  two  hundred  boys  and  sixty  girls,  who  are 
admitted  between  the  ages  of  ten  and  fourteen  years,  and  are  re- 
tained in  general  six  years.  The  best  two  among  the  male  pupils 
belonging  to  each  class  of  the  sixth  year,  are  selected  to  receive 
the  advantages  of  a  superior  course  of  education  for  the  additional 
term  of  three  years,  —  and  from  what  is  called  the  class  of  in- 
struction complimcntaire.  They  are  supported  by  a  fund  left  by  the 
late  physician  of  the  institution,  the  benevolent  Dr.  Itard.  Most  of 
the  pupils  are  supported  here,  at  the  expense  of  the  government,  but 
a  few  are  kept  at  the  school  by  their  relatives.  The  expense  of  the 
government  is  about  ninety  dolhirs  per  annum,  and  private  schol- 
ars are  charged  one  hundred  and  seventy  dollars.  The  number 
of  instructors  is,  eight  for  the  males,  four  of  whom  are  deaf  and 
dumb ;  and  four  for  the  females,  besides  four  or  five  young  per- 
sons who  are  preparing  for  situations  as  teachers,  by  attending  the 
exercises  of  the  school-rooms,  and  rendering  assistance  from  time 
to  time  as  they  find  the  opportunity.  These  are  called  aspirants, 
and  become  subsequently  teachers,  if  their  talents  and  success 
seem  to  warrant  the  merit. 

18 


206  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WoRLD. 


The  salaries  of  the  teachers  are  not  large  ;  but  after  thirty  years' 
service,  they  receive  on  retiring,  a  pension  from  the  government  of 
half-pay  for  life. 

I  was  not  permitted  to  see  the  female  part  of  the  school.  The 
sexes  are  kept  entirely  distinct ;  and  to  my  request  to  be  shown 
through  the  department,  I  was  told  that  no  man  was  allowed  there 
but  the  priest.  The  reason  for  the  separation  of  the  sexes,  is 
founded  on  the  belief  that,  deprived  of  articulate  speech,  the  ordi- 
nary advantages  of  social  intercourse  would  not  accrue  to  these 
pupils.  In  this  decision,  it  is  forgotten  that  the  communication  of 
thought,  of  sentiment,  of  emotion,  does  not  depend  wholly  upon 
speech.  The  beauty  and  poetry  of  the  soul  often  finds  a  happier 
and  more  forcible  medium  of  expression  in  the  manner,  the  coun- 
tenance, the  eye,  than  could  be  given  to  it  by  the  meagre  and  in- 
adequate power  of  language.  And  imperfectly  developed  must 
ever  be  that  character,  which  comes  to  age  without  the  vivifying 
influence  of  intercourse  with  the  opposite  sex. 

In  this  admirably  arranged  charity,  the  pupils  of  both  sexes  are 
instructed  by  means  of  three  different  languages,  namely,  by  al- 
phabet, by  mimic-signs,  and  by  dumb-articulation.  The  last  men- 
tioned mode,  although  successfully  pursued  in  several  distinguished 
institutions  in  Germany,  has  not  yet  gained  much  favor  with  the 
French.  It  has  been  repeatedly  attempted  in  this  school,  but  the 
system  has  not  gained  particular  favor.  The  professors  have 
declai-ed,  that  in  their  opinion,  the  advantages  to  be  gained  by 
this  mode,  were  by  no  means  equal  to  the  comparative  time  and 
effort  necessary  to  reach  the  result. 

Here,  as  elsewhere  in  the  schools,  all  are  carefully  taught  draw- 
ing, for  the  double  purpose  of  cultivating  taste,  and  of  enabling 
them  with  facility  to  delineate  the  signs  and  the  alphabet,  by 
which   they  can  mutually  communicate  their  ideas  to  each  other. 


MY  FRENCH  TEACHER.  207 


In  taking  leave  of  this  interesting  establishment,  I  could  not 
but  pause  for  a  moment  in  the  entrance-square,  to  contemplate  an 
object  of  great  curiosity.  It  was  an  enormous  elm,  two  hundred 
and  forty-six  years  of  age,  and  ninety  feet  in  height,  which  had 
been  planted  by  Sully,  minister  of  Henry  IV.  It  shows  no  sign 
of  age,  and  is  considered  the  finest  tree  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Paris.  Its  gigantic  stature,  and  wide-spreading  branches,  are  not 
unemblematic  of  the  support  and  protection  which  the  govern- 
ment of  France  affords  to  its  unfortunate  children. 

One  of  the  lecture-rooms  at  the  School  of  Medicine,  which  I 
looked  into  on  my  Avay  home,  detained  me  but  a  few  moments. 
The  professor,  a  venerable-looking  gentleman,  apparently  fifty  or 
sixty  years  of  age,  seated  in  an  armed-chair,  was  reading  a  lecture 
from  a  manuscript,  in  a  dull  and  lifeless  manner.  Specimens  of 
anatomy  were  promiscuously  lying  on  the  table  before  him,  at 
some  distance,  which  he  sometimes  referred  to  by  leaving  off"  his 
reading,  taking  up  the  part  to  be  explained,  and  deliberately  ex- 
emplifying the  point  that  he  had  presented.  His  lack  of  ani- 
mation was  accompanied  by  its  usual  result,  a  thin  attendance ;  for 
the  room  was  no  more  than  half  filled. 

I  was  called  on,  in  the  evening,  by  a  young  gentleman  who  had 
been  sent  to  me  by  my  friend  Monsieur  the  Director,  and  recom- 
mended by  him  as  a  suitable  person  to  improve  me  in  the  graces 
of  French  pronunciation.  He  was  a  very  young  man,  perhaps  no 
more  than  twenty  years  of  age,  yet  full  of  spirit,  vivacity,  and 
grace,  and  possessed  of  a  smooth  and  fluent  utterance.  As  he 
could  not  speak  English,  he  oflered  his  services  to  me  for  four 
francs  a  lesson,  —  five  being  the  usual  price.  I  struck  a  bargain 
with  liini  for  a  lesson  a  day,  of  an  hour's  length ;  and  I  had  no 
reason  afterwards  to  regret  the  choice  I  made  in  Iiim,  for  he 
proved  a  faitliful  and  excellent  instructor,  and  he  aided  me  in 


208  CRESTS  FROM  THE   OCEAN-WORLD. 


other  respects.  I  had  previously  called,  for  purposes  of  mere  m- 
quiry,  however,  on  several  of  these  conveniences  to  strangers  in 
Paris.  They  are  quite  a  numerous  tribe  in  this  well  ar- 
ranged city ;  and  their  cards,  ostensibly  posted,  frequently  meet 
the  eye  in  certain  quarters.  These  gentlemen-teachers  are  entirely 
complaisant,  enter  readily  into  conversation  with  you,  —  and  by 
the  perfect  coincidence  of  opinion  and  congeniality  of  feeling  be- 
tween you,  they  will  be  very  likely  to  touch  your  sympathies  at 
once.  It  may,  perchance,  appear  a  little  singular  at  first,  that 
they  happen  always  to  have  just  time  to  teach  one  more  pupil,  and 
that  although  they  have  before  them  several  applications  for  this 
hour,  you  would  most  assuredly  receive  the  preference.  After 
learning  that  I  was  fi'om  Massachusetts,  they  would  enumerate 
the  distinguished  men  from  my  own  State,  whom  they  had  had 
the  honor  to  instruct ;  and  I  really  began  to  feel  a  kind  of  social 
elevation,  in  being  so  near  such  eminent  society. 

Feb.  bth.  I  attended  in  the  morning,  two  lectures  at  the  Sar- 
bonne.  The  rooms  were  not  filled.  The  professors  spoke  with 
notes  before  them.  In  one  room  each  student  had  with  him  a 
book,  to  Avhich  I  noticed  he  was  frequently  cited  by  the  speaker. 

In  the  afternoon,  I  passed  through  the  Palace  of  Fine  Arts.  In 
company,  was  a  small  number  of  persons  belonging  to  the  rural  pop- 
ulation. My  attention  was  as  much  engrossed  with  the  interesting 
company,  as  with  the  remarkable  objects  to  be  seen  in  the  museum. 
They  were  evidently  in  Paris  for  the  first  time,  and  as  they  would 
probably  never  see  it  again,  they  could  not  but  be  highly  impressed 
with  the  value  of  time.  Every  traveller  feels  that  a  day  in  Paris 
is  equal  to  weeks  or  months  elscAvhere  ;  then  how  concentrated 
must  be  the  feelings  of  the  inhabitant  of  the  country  or  smaller 
town,  who  has  been  accustomed  to  look  up  to  Paris  as  the  sum  of 
artificial  creation,  and  the  end  of  travelling  life,  —  as  a  world  of 


MUSEUM  OF  FRENCH  MONUMENTS.  209 


beauty  in  miniature,  and  the  grand  centre  of  opinion  and  style  for 
the  world,  and  to  which  he  must  make  one  visit  in  his  life,  as 
would  a  Mohammedan  to  the  city  of  Mecca.  So  strong  is  this 
feeling  among  the  rural  class  in  France,  that  sometimes  the  surplus 
earnings  of  many  years,  if  not  an  entu-e  Ufe,  are  freely  consecrated 
to  this  one  long-nurtured  purpose.  "  Who  has  not  seen  Paris,  has 
seen  nothing,"  is  a  common  saying  in  the  country  towns  in  France. 

The  party  in  question  was  composed  of  youthful  persons  of 
either  sex,  and  by  the  evident  agreeable  state  of  their  feelings, 
they  were  nearer  to  each  other  in  sentiment,  than  to  warrant 
the  opinion  of  being  merely  second-cousins.  They  passed 
through  the  different  rooms,  following  our  guide  in  the  most 
docile  manner,  apparently  thinking  more  of  themselves  and  of  each 
other,  than  of  the  interior  of  the  edifice.  Whenever  their  atten- 
tion was  a  little  diverted  to  the  objects  we  met  with,  it  created 
only  a  mixture  of  surprise  and  distraction,  similar  to  that  which 
the  boy  experiences  when  he  enters  tor  the  first  time  a  store  filled 
with  the  captivating  objects  of  his  admiration. 

The  buildings  occupying  the  spot  whence  now  rises  the  vast 
and  interesting  structure,  called  the  Palace  of  the  Fine  Arts,  was 
used,  after  the  Revolution,  as  a  general  depot  for  the  tombs, 
statues,  bass-reliefs,  and  other  decorations  wrested  from  foreign 
churches  and  private  establishments  by  the  conquering  and  grasp- 
ing power  of  the  Fi-ench  arms.  These  profaned  relics  of  victory 
were  gathered  in  the  various  halls,  cloister,  and  garden  of  the  es- 
tablishment, classilied  and  arranged  according  to  their  century. 
This  collection,  which  must  have  been  unicjue  and  deej^ly  interest- 
ing, received  the  name  of  the  lluseum  of  French  Motiuments.  At 
tlie  Restoration,  however,  most  of  the  monuments  were  returned 
to  the  churches  whence  they  were  taken ;  and  the  present  edifice 
is  used  for  a  museum  and  school. 

18* 


210  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


An  ample  stairway,  overlaid  and  ceiled  with  marble,  formed  un- 
der a  grand  vestibule,  and  sustained  by  marble  pillars,  leads  to  the 
first  stage  of  the  building,  which  comprises  several  spacious  com- 
partments decorated  with  paintings.  In  one  of  these  rooms  con- 
structed in  an  amphitheatrical  form,  is  the  celebrated  fresco,  from 
the  pencil  of  Paul-de-la-Roche,  representing  the  eight  principal 
schools  of  painting:  namely,  the  Roman,  the  Venetian,  the  Floren- 
tine, the  German,  the  Spanish,  the  Holland,  the  Flemish,  and 
French  school.  I  was  particularly  struck  with  the  portrait  of  Ra- 
phael, in  the  piece,  bearing  a  more  than  mortal  expression  of  beauty. 

Two  other  rooms  constitute  a  museum  of  chef  d'ceuvres  of 
antiquities.  In  the  chapel  of  Medicis  is  a  copy  of  the  master- 
piece of  Michael  Angelo ;  and  in  the  ancient  church  of  the 
Petites-Aiigustines  is  the  splendid  copy,  by  Singlon,  of  his  "  Last 
Judgment."  This  picture  is  very  large,  and  the  canvas  is  crowded 
■with  figures  displaying,  with  boldness,  an  infinity  of  attitudes. 
The  picture  illustrates  the  powerful  creative  genius  of  the  great 
Italian  painter  ;  but  the  impression  which  it  makes  upon  the  mind 
is  rather  confused. 

In  the  rooms  in  the  first  stage  take  place  the  annual  exposi- 
tions of  works  of  art,  sent  by  pupils  from  Rome.  The  second 
stage  contains  the  works  which  have  obtained  the  prize  at  the 
Institute. 

After  leaving  this  royal  museum,  I  made  a  visit,  for  the  twen- 
tieth time,  perhaps,  to  the  justly  celebrated  church  of  the  Made- 
line. I  could  have  wished  to  visit  it  twenty  times  more  ;  and 
•when  I  did  leave  it  for  the  last  time,  it  was  with  a  feeluig  of  regret 
which  one  experiences  on  the  separation  from  a  scene  enshrined 
in  the  mind  with  delicious  emotions.  Its  noble  and  symmetrical 
proportions,  its  pure  but  splendid  architecture,  its  gorgeously  rich 
interior  and  decorations,  the  fine  paintings  with  which  its  walls 


CHURCH  OF  THE  MADELINE.  211 


and  ceilings  are  adorned,  combine  to  render  it  by  far  the  most 
beautiful  work  of  art  I  ever  beheld. 

The  magnificent  structure  is  in  the  boulevard  of  the  same 
name,  opposite  the  Rue  Royale ;  and  is  after  the  Parthenon  at 
Athens,  but  larger,  being  three  hundred  and  twenty-eight  feet  in 
length,  and  one  hundred  and  tliirty-eight  feet  in  width,  while  its 
archetype  is  only  two  hundred  and  twenty-eight  by  one  hundred 
feet.  It  stands  upon  a  platform  twelve  feet  high,  surrounded  by 
a  magnificent  peristyle  of  fifty-two  Corinthian  columns,  each  sixty 
feet  high  and  six  feet  in  diameter.  Nothing  can  be  finer  than  the 
view  presented  by  the  facade,  ornamented  as  it  is  with  all  which 
sculpture  has  produced  that  is  rich  and  elegant.  But  in  gazing 
upon  this  splendid  triumph  of  genius,  the  eye  first  falls  upon  the 
noble  fronton,  upon  which,  in  a  vast  composition  with  alto-relievo, 
is  rej^resented  the  Last  Judgment.  The  figures  have  a  proportion 
of  about  fifteen  feet.  In  the  middle,  rises  the  person  of  Christ ; 
and  at  his  feet  is  the  Madeline  in  a  suppliant  attitude  ;  she  ap- 
pears to  solicit  pardon  of  the  fishermen  near  her,  while  an  angel, 
armed  with  a  sword,  repulses  them. 

Passing  from  the  majestic  corridor  of  the  double  range  of  col- 
umns, at  the  southern  front,  through  the  massive  bronze  doors, 
you  enter  the  body  of  the  edifice.  What  a  scene  bursts  upon  your 
enraptured  view  !  The  floor  entirely  of  marble,  divided  into  com- 
partments of  various  figures  and  colors ;  the  numerous  chandeliers 
of  burnished  gold,  gilding  the  vast  space  of  the  interior ;  the  pic- 
tures of  consummate  execution  speaking  to  you  from  the  walls ; 
the  beautiful  statues,  adorning  all  the  niches,  representing  the 
sublimest  form  of  thought ;  the  magnificent  group  of  sculpture 
over  the  high  altar  of  the  virgin  lierself,  of  the  purest  white  mar- 
ble, guarded  by  two  angels  of  extreme  grace  and  beauty ;  all  con- 
spire to  render  it  a  scene  of  indescribable  beauty. 


212  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


The  interior  of  the  edifice  is  totally  different  from  most  great 
Catholic  churches.  It  is  not  divided  into  nave  and  aisles,  but 
forms  a  vast  hall  without  windows,  receiving  its  light  from  open- 
ings at  the  centres  of  three  fine  domes  that  form  the  interior  roof. 

The  history  of  the  church  is  curious.  A  religious  edifice  was 
ordered  to  be  built  here,  by  Louis  XV,  and  the  first  stone  was 
laid  in  1763.  The  Revolution  of  1789  suspended  the  work.  In 
1808,  Napoleon  changed  entirely  the  plan  and  destination  of  the 
structure  of  twenty  years,  wliich  had  cost  nearly  two  millions  of 
francs,  and  caused  to  be  erected  on  the  site  a  Temple  of  Glory  in 
honor  of  the  Grand  Army.  But  this,  as  well  as  many  of  Napo- 
leon's gigantic  plans,  was  arrested  in  1813,  at  the  restoration  of 
the  Bourbons.  Louis  XVIII.  recommenced  the  building  in  1816, 
with  the  design  of  finishing  the  church  to  receive  the  monuments 
of  his  family,  and  to  be  dedicated  to  the  Magdalen.  Louis  Phil- 
lippe,  with  his  unbounded  liberality  to  the  fine  arts,  had  the 
unfinished  work  completed. 

However  rich  and  beautiful  the  interior  of  this  church,  its  high- 
est charm  consists  in  its  fine  exterior.  The  profusion  and  variety 
of  beauty  within,  overpowers  and  distracts  the  mind ;  but  in  con- 
templating its  noble  and  elegant  proportions  from  without,  the  soul 
is  gradually  elevated,  the  thought  concentrated  ;  while  the  emo- 
tions, purified,  become  entranced  in  a  spiritual  elysium.  The 
contemplation  of  this  edifice,  and  that  of  the  Pantheon,  produces 
a  similar  effect  upon  the  mind.  The  lover  of  the  beautiful  will 
ever  feel  that  he  cannot  look  upon  them  too  often,  or  gaze  upon 
them  too  long,  —  while  in  after  years,  their  image  will  ever  and 
anon  float  in  his  memozy,  awaking  delightful  recollections  of  the 
past. 

Sunday,  Feb.  Gth.  First,  went  to  the  post-ofiice,  but  received 
only,  as  compensation  for  my  trouble,  a  renewed  practical  illustra- 


ST.  GERMAIN  L'AUXERROIS.  213" 


tion  of  the  pronunciation  of  the  French  negation  —  ne  rien,  a 
sound,  by  the  way,  with  which  my  ear  was  ah-eady  but  too 
familiar.  Afterwards,  I  attended  service  at  the  great  Protestant 
church  of  the  city.  On  arriving,  I  found  the  church,  which  is  ca- 
pable of  holding  two  thousand  persons,  nearly  full,  and  numbers, 
besides,  rushing  forward  in  quest  of  seats.  From  this  impatience 
of  movement  all  around,  and  the  glowing  expectation  which  was 
depicted  upon  the  countenances  of  the  audience,  it  was  easy  to 
infer  that  some  bright  particular  star,  of  powerful  attraction,  was 
to  be  the  spiritual  guide  of  the  forenoon's  service.  Nor  was  I  at 
all  deceived  in  so  natural  a  conclusion.  The  address,  which  was 
of  unusual  length,  and  very  diversified  in  style,  was  remarkably 
well  sustained  in  interest,  and  had  the  power  to  keep  the  vast  au- 
dience enchained  in  almost  breathless  attention,  throughout  its 
entire  delivery.  The  speaker  was  slightly  below  the  medium 
stature,  and  rather  inclined  to  corpulency.  His  movements,  how- 
ever, which  were  nervous,  joined  to  his  beaming  countenance  and 
eyes  radiant  with  glow  and  fervency,  added  force  to  his  brilliant 
style.  He  spoke  without  written  notes,  although  it  was  evident 
enough  from  the  perfection  of  the  plan  and  details  of  the  discourse, 
that  it  had  at  least  been  well  engraved  on  the  tablet  of  the  mind. 
French  speakers  rarely  or  never  read  their  addresses.  Neither 
the  genius  of  the  language,  nor  the  impetuosity  of  the  French 
character,  would  admit  of  such  a  form.  It  is  said  that  their  speeches 
are  often  memorized,  which  is  undoubtedly  true,  but  they  appear 
as  spontaneous  as  if  gushing  directly  from  the  foiuitain  of  the 
soul,  with  impressive  force.  Hence,  their  eloquence  has  the  in- 
tensity of  burning  flame,  melting  with  whatever  it  comes  in 
contact. 

On  returning  to  my  lodging,  I  spent  u  brief  hour  or  two  in  the 
church  of  St.  Germain  VAuxerrois.     This  edifice  possesses  inter- 


214  CKESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WOKLD. 

est  on  account  of  its  antiquity,  it  having  been  erected  at  first, 
sometime  in  the  seventh  centuiy.  Standing  for  a  long  time 
without  the  walls  of  the  city,  it  more  than  once  experienced  the 
devastating  influence  of  civil  and  foreign  wars.  It  presents  now 
very  many  points  of  interest  to  the  lover  of  art,  and  of  the  cu- 
rious, but  space  fails  to  enumerate  them  here.  It  happened  to 
be  a  time  of  service  with  them,  and  I  had  the  enviable  pleasure 
of  listening  to  some  excellent  music,  and  of  witnessing  some  cu- 
rious ceremonies.  The  nave  of  the  church  was  nearly  half  filled, 
mostly  with  a  class  i-esembling  the  common  people,  a  large  num- 
ber being  children,  accompanied  by  their  teachers.  There  were, 
besides,  a  goodly  number  of  that  humane  class  of  females  entitled 
Sisters  of  Charity,  who  were  easily  distinguished  by  their  simple 
and  unique  garb.  In  this  latter  respect,  they  more  nearly  resem- 
ble the  Quakers,  or  Friends,  than  any  class  that  I  can  hken  them 
to.  I  should  not  omit  to  mention  another  class  present,  which 
would  be  likely  to  attract  the  attention  of  a  stranger.  They  were 
a  band  of  young  women,  bearing  a  common  resemblance  in  dress, 
age,  and  manner,  and  whom  I  took  for  nuns.  Arranged  on  a 
long  seat,  they  remained  in  a  fixed  attitude,  presenting  a  demure 
and  docile  aspect.  Their  countenances,  however,  bore  a  bloom 
and  redolence,  reminding  you  of  the  first  blush  of  spring.  They 
were  handsomely  attired  in  long,  flowing,  silk  robes,  a  white  veil 
reaching  below  the  breast,  and  white  kid  gloves  of  immaculate 
purity.  Each  bore  in  her  hand  a  book  of  worship,  beautifully 
gilded.  The  unique  grace  and  elegance  of  their  costume,  and 
their  subdued  sedateness  of  expression,  joined  to  the  recollection 
of  their  secluded  life,  invested  the  spectacle  they  formed  with  a 
poetical  charm  which  appealed  with  lively  force  to  the  imagina- 
tion. They  were  in  consequence,  the  object  of  a  covert  scrutiny 
by  the  strangers  present ;  and  one  of  the  maidens,  more  lovely  in 


RURAL  RESTAURANTS.  215 


appearance  than  the  others,  ever  and  anon  sweetly  nestled  in  her 
place,  with  a  kind  of  pardonable  vanity  apparent  from  her  fre- 
quently rearranging  some  portion  of  her  dress,  and  making  occa- 
sional side-glances  at  some  of  the  spectators  present.  In  contem- 
plating these  interesting  specimens  of  the  fairer  creation,  one  felt 
to  question  the  heart-wisdom  at  least  of  an  institution  that  would 
thus  pluck  from  social  life  such  lovely  flowers,  to  "  waste  their  fra- 
gi-ance  on  the  desert  air." 

After  tea,  I  compounded  with  my  conscience  so  far  as  to  adopt 
the  resolution  to  visit  one  of  the  many  rural  restaurants  situated 
in  the  verge  of  the  city,  where  the  common  people  are  wont  to 
assemble  on  a  Sunday  evening,  to  forget  for  a  brief  moment,  amid 
singing  and  dancing  and  convivial  enjoyment,  the  weariness  of 
their  labors,  and  the  pain  of  their  hard  lot.  I  found  the  place  at 
last,  with  some  difficulty,  and  after  much  particular  inquiry ;  but 
on  arriving,  I  found  that  I  should  lose  the  gratification  of  my  cu- 
riosity in  the  object  of  my  visit  thither,  as  it  was  not  the  season 
for  the  indulgence  of  such  amusements.  I  was  permitted,  never- 
theless, to  inspect  the  place  fully,  and  had  all  my  questions  abun- 
dantly answered.  There  was  a  cozy  and  rustic  cottage  in  the 
midst  of  a  pleasing  garden  shaded  with  trees,  and  interspersed 
with  delightful  arbors,  with  seats  and  tables  for  the  lovers  of  the 
sparkling  cup.  In  the  middle  of  the  garden  was  a  small,  open 
square,  where  rustic  swain  and  buxom  lassie  had  often,  amid 
tumultuous  music  and  hilarity,  gracefully  circled  in  the  seducing 
and  merry  dance. 

On  my  return  home,  I  spent  a  brief  hour  in  agreeable  conver- 
sation with  ]Madame  my  graceful  and  kind-hearted  landlady. 
Being  the  only  foreigner  out  of  the  sixty  young  students  who  had 
rooms  in  her  hotel,  she  had  the  politeness  to  grant  me  alone  the 
privilege  of  spending  with  her  and  her  maid,  occasional  fragments 


216  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OUEAN-WOKLD. 

of  time,  for  resolving  my  doubts  on  perplexing  points  in  the  day's 
investigation,  as  well  as  receiving  suggestions  as  to  the  course  to 
be  pursued  to  see  and  learn  the  most  at  the  least  expense  of  time. 
She  was  remarkably  intelligent,  spirited,  and  witty.  Her  little 
private  parlor  was  graced  with  a  small  library,  containing  a  choice 
collection  of  standard  works  in  French  literature.  Her  knowl- 
edi-e  of  the  passing  world  was  obtained  from  the  journals,  the 
loan  of  which  she  purchased  at  second  hand,  for  a  sous  a  reading. 
It  would  be  rare,  even  in  our  own  school-boasting  country,  to  find 
a  lady  of  similar  early  advantages,  and  the  same  occupation  iu 
life,  to  be  so  well  versed  in  literature  and  a  knowledge  of  the 
world,  as  was  Madame  David.  She  had  been  a  long  time  engaged 
in  the  same  occupation  that  she  was  now  following,  and  which 
her  mother  pursued  before  her.  Taking  her  word  for  it,  she  did 
not  get  rich  —  so  much  competition  was  there  in  the  trade  —  al- 
though she  lived  very  frugally.  She  furnished  the  lodgers  with 
meals  when  they  ordered  them,  but  her  own  were  obtained  by 
her  maid  from  the  restaurants,  —  and  it  was  really  curious  to  see, 
as  I  sometimes  accidentally  did,  how  very  minute  quantities  of 
the  different  dishes  they  indulged  in,  sufficed  her  simple  appetite. 
Before  the  evening  was  far  spent,  I  set  out  for  the  Reunion 
des  Ouvriers,  held  in  the  capacious  basement  of  the  Church  of  St. 
Sulpice,  to  which  I  had  already  received  a  printed  invitation  by 
my  friend  the  Directeur.  On  arriving,  I  found  the  room  crowded, 
and  the  exercises  already  begun.  A  seat  had  been  reserved  for 
me  near  the  desk,  to  which  I  was  immediately  conducted  amid 
marks  of  respect.  A  young  man  was  reading  an  essay  ;  but  be- 
fore I  could  well  gather  up  the  thread  of  his  discourse,  he  came 
to  an  end.  Having  been  previously  informed  that  the  bishop  of 
Paris  would  honor  the  meeting  Avith  his  presence,  I  was  just 
imagining  the  sort  of  personage  I  should  see  in  him,  when  (a 


REUNION  DES  OUVRIERS.  217 


slight  movement  announcing  his  entrance)  the  entire  assembly  rose 
simultaneously  to  their  feet,  and  remained  standing  in  a  deferen- 
tial attitude,'  till  the  distinguished  functionary  had  glided  along 
through  the  aisle,  rapidly  but  noiselessly,  to  his  seat  behind  the  desk. 
While  the  president  of  the  meeting  —  after  announcing  to  the  audi- 
ence that  it  was  the  especial  request  of  their  honored  visitor,  that 
there  should  be  shown  him  no  applause  —  was  offering  some  re- 
marks of  his  own,  I  had  a  moment's  leisure  to  survey  the  high  cler- 
ical dignitary.  My  imagination  had  pictured  a  lordly  personage, 
garbed  in  pontifical  robes,  and  moving  with  measured  dignity. 
But  far  different  was  the  reality.  lie  was  of  the  medium  French 
stature,  corpulent,  but  showing  none  of  the  unwieldiness  which 
usually  attends  obesity.  Pic  was  simply  attired  with  a  small 
French  toque  upon  his  capacious  head.  A  massive  gold  ring,  en- 
casing a  brilliant,  the  badge  of  his  office,  was  upon  one  of  the 
gloved  fingers  of  his  hand,  and  constituted  the  only  ornament  he 
wore.  On  his  expansive  forehead  was  enthroned  the  grandeur  of 
a  lofty  intellect.  From  his  genial  countenance  beamed  intelli- 
gence and  benignity,  while  his  eyes  floated  in  a  sea  of  sympathy, 
and  were  radiant  with  the  fire  of  genius.  His  manner  had  the 
simplicity  of  a  child.  He  followed  the  president,  in  an  extempo- 
raneous address  of  considerable  length ;  and  if  my  astonishment 
was  great  before,  it  was  redoubled  on  hearing  him  speak.  From 
the  commencement  to  the  close  of  his  remarks,  every  mind  was 
riveted  to  the  speaker,  with  intense  interest.  His  vast  soul  seemed 
pouring  forth  in  a  torrent  of  eloquence,  while  the  deep  sea  of  em- 
bodied sympathy  which  filled  the  spacious  room,  was  profoundly 
agitated  like  a  tumultuous  lashed  ocean.  Now  lively  or  humorous, 
now  fervid  or  impassioned,  then  flashing  in  sallies  of  wit,  and 
again  abounding  in  melting  pathos,  the  entire  audience  hung 
entranced  upon  his  moving  accents.     At  one  moment  the  house 


218"  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


was  convulsed  with  laughter ;  at  another,  tears  trickled  down  upon 
manly  cheeks.  He  painted  with  masterly  touches  the  numerous 
haunts  of  folly  and  vice  in  the  new  Babylon,  as  he  termed  it,  and 
forcibly  showed  how  superior  to  them  were  such  soul-elevating 
places  as  that  institution.  Besides,  added  the  speaker  with  pecu- 
liar significance,  "  You  have  the  example  of  Christ,  of  the  Apos- 
tles, and  of  the  great  and  good  of  all  ages."  In  common  with  the 
audience,  I  Avas  deeply  affected,  and  felt  refreshed  and  elevated 
by  his  noble  strains. 

He  was  followed  by  a  very  young  man,  in  appearance  no  more 
than  sixteen  years  of  age,  —  but  what  a  falling  off  was  there ! 
His  style  bore  the  faults  of  youth  and  inexperience,  without  the 
marks  of  genius. 

Then  came  the  report  of  the  critic,  —  the  reading  of  which 
produced  some  merriment.  This,  as  I  understood,  closed  the  reg- 
ular exercises.  Then  followed  volunteer  speeches  from  gentle- 
men invited,  or  accidentally  present.  One  of  the  most  notable 
speakers,  was  the  governor  of  the  Hotel  of  the  Invalids.  He 
spoke  fluently,  and  with  animation,  and  his  remarks,  happily 
pointed  off  with  apt  illustration  and  sparkling  anecdote,  were  well 
received  by  the  company.  Then  followed  a  young  gentleman, 
whom  I  took  for  a  lawyer.  After  some  vain  display  of  person, 
and  an  obsequious  apology  for  lack  of  preparation,  he  commenced. 
He  was  certainly  fluent,  and  pleasing  in  his  style ;  but  rambUng 
through  fields  of  science,  art,  poetry,  and  literature,  he  had 
scarcely  come  to  the  point,  before  his  time  expired.  Then  fol- 
lowed the  report  of  the  treasury,  dry  and  uninteresting,  as  such 
papers  usually  are.  We  were  afterwards  favored  with  a  prosaic 
speech  from  one  of  the  Professors  of  History  at  the  Sarbonne. 
Volumes  of  books  were  then  distributed,  according  to  a  prcAaous 
arrangement,  whether  by  lottery  or  otherwise,  I  could  not  under- 


REUNION  DES  OUVRIERS.  "219^ " 


stand.  The  exercises  were  closed  with  singing  and  prayer. 
There  was  singing,  also,  after  every  exercise.  Twice,  a  single 
powerful  and  cultivated  voice,  accompanied  by  an  instrument,  filled 
the  room  with  its  deep  and  rich  melody.  At  other  times,  the 
singing  was  performed  by  the  audience, — every  person  present,  ex- 
cept myself,  I  believe,  taking  part.  It  was  accompanied  by  a 
fine-toned  organ,  and  the  effect  was  grand  and  inspiring.  It  pro- 
duced upon  my  feelings  an  elevation  and  impressiveness,  impos- 
sible to  express.  I  could  have  listened  to  it  forever.  Just 
imagine,  for  a  moment,  the  effect  of  perhaps  a  thousand  or  fifteen 
hundred  cultivated  voices  (for  all  are  thoroughly  taught  to  sing  in 
youth),  in  perfect  harmony,  and  inspired  by  elevating  exercises, 
pouring  forth  their  deep  melody,  exquisitely  blended  with  the  ar- 
tistic tones  of  the  organ.  The  singing  and  happy  hits  of  the 
speakers  gave  more  than  freshness  and  piquancy  to  the  exercises, 
and  breathed  into  the  whole  a  fraternal  spirit. 

The  character  of  this  institution  is  professedly  moral,  religious, 
literary,  and  scientific,  and  is  designed  to  furnish  healthful  relax- 
ation, elevating  amusement,  and  practical  improvement,  to  the 
laboring  classes ;  and  from  this  meeting,  and  several  others  which 
I  attended,  I  should  think  it  admirably  adapted  to  promote  so  laud- 
able an  end. 

The  Parisians  are  represented  by  some,  as  gay  and  frivolous, 
and  entirely  given  to  vain  amusement ;  but  here  is  a  society  in 
the  heart  of  the  city,  comprising  moi'C  than  a  thousand  per- 
sons —  and  there  are  several  others  such  in  the  city  —  the  mem- 
bers of  which,  for  sobriety  of  demeanor,  earnestness  of  feeling, 
and  thirst  for  solid  improvement,  will  compare  with  any  people  in 
the  world. 

This  institution  resembles  considerably  our  Lyceums  or  Insti- 
tutes.    They  are  organized,  however,  on  a  broader  basis,  and 


220  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


their  exercises  are  of  a  more  diversified  character.  All  but 
Jesuits,  who  are  at  the  bottom  of  this,  as  well  as  most  other 
like  moral  and  religious  enterprises  in  the  city,  pay  something  for 
admittance. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

TO    VERSAILLES  —  CHATEAU  —  VASTNESS  —  SPLENDID       GROUNDS 

SUMPTUOUS     INTERIOR  —  HOTEL     DE      BRISSAC  —  CONDITION 

OP    DOMESTICS  —  NORMAL    SCHOOL  —  HEALTHFUL  APPEARANCE 
OF    STUDENTS. 

Feb.  1th.  I  started  by  railroad  for  Versailles.  A  train  leaves 
every  hour,  from  both  sides  of  the  Seine,  during  the  day  and  eve- 
ning. The  distance  is  about  twelve  miles,  and  the  rates  of  fare 
are  forty,  thirty,  and  twenty-five  cents,  according  to  places.  I 
observed  well-dressed  and  respectable-looking  people  in  the  second 
grade,  and  even  the  third.  Indeed,  it  is  said  that  "  only  women 
and  fools  go  in  the  first  place ;"  or,  with  more  propriety  of  expres- 
sion, such  as  would  purchase  exclusion.  The  time  occupied  thir- 
ty-five minutes.  Arriving,  I  called  on  M.  le  Directeur  of  the 
Norman  School,  to  whom  I  had  letters  of  recommendation  from 
the  Vice-Rector  at  the  Sarbonne.  The  Director  received  me 
graciously,  assuring  me  that  I  was  most  welcome  to  inspect  the 
entire  establishment  at  pleasure.  As  the  Palace  of  Versailles 
would  not  open  on  the  next  day,  I  decided  to  make  immediately 
my  visit  to  this  justly  celebrated  establishment. 

CHATEAU  DE  VERSAILLES. 

I  cannot,  of  course,  attempt  anything  like  a  full  description  of 
this  celebrated  Palace,  which  would,  indeed,  require  a  volume  ; 
but  I  am  bound  to  say  sometliing  about  it,  as  well  as  its  history. 

19* 


222  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WOKLD. 

About  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century,  that  magnificent 
monarch,  Louis  XIV,  surnamed  the  great,  becoming  tired  of  St. 
Germain,  determined  to  build  a  palace,  and  create  a  court  that 
should  attract  the  admiration  of  Europe,  and  become  the  centre 
of  the  politics,  art,  literature,  and  refinement  of  the  civilized 
world.  He  chose  for  this  purpose  the  gently  elevated  and  un- 
dulating grounds  in  the  hunting  forests,  about  twelve  miles  south- 
west of  the  capital,  where  his  ancestors  used  to  pursue  the  chase. 

Le  Notre  was  employed  to  lay  out  the  gardens  and  grounds, 
and  Lebrun  to  paint  the  apartments.  In  order  to  obtain  ample 
room,  the  surrounding  domains  were  purchased,  until  the  whole, 
gardens,  parks,  and  forests,  expanded  to  a  circumference  of  some 
sixty  miles,  with  villages  and  agricultural  grounds  interspersed. 
A  little  to  the  east  of  the  elevated  plateau,  upon  which  the  palace 
was  to  stand,  a  town  was  laid  out ;  and  some  idea  may  be  formed 
of  the  extent  and  prodigality  of  this  court,  when  it  is  remembered 
that  a  town  of  one  hundred  thousand  inhabitants  sprang  up,  as 
if  by  magic,  adorned  with  public  squares,  fine  private  hotels,  and 
a  number  of  public  institutions,  among  which  was  a  royal  college. 

But  the  vast  expenditure  which  was  necessary,  first  to  create, 
and  then  to  keep  up  such  a  palace  and  court,  impoverished  the 
nation,  and  contributed  materially  to  the  subsequent  revolution  in 
1789.  It  is  said  that  the  actual  expenditure  on  the  buildings  and 
grounds,  was  neai-ly  two  hundred  millions  of  dollars. 

The  town  at  present  contains  but  about  thirty  thousand  inhabi- 
tants ;  but  is  considered  one  of  the  handsomest  in  France,  although 
it  now  wears  a  dull  and  deserted  appearance,  being  no  longer  re- 
sorted to  by  the  beau  monde.  It  consists  principally  of  three  wide 
streets,  lined  with  trees,  diverging  from  the  Place  d'Armes,  an 
open  space  in  front  of  the  palace.  The  central  and  widest  of 
these  streets,  is  called  the  Avenue  de  Paris ;  and  those  on  the 


PAINTING  AND  SCULPTURE.  223 


north  and  south,  the  avenues  of  St.  Cloud  and  Sceaux.  The 
other  streets,  though  of  less  width,  are  equally  regular,  cross  each 
other  at  right  angles,  and  are  lined  with  handsome  residences. 

From  the  Place  d'Armes,  eight  hundred  feet  wide,  you  pass  into 
the  grand  court,  which  is  thi'ee  hundred  and  eighty  feet  wide. 
As  seen  from  the  grand  court,  on  the  side  next  the  town,  the  pal- 
ace seems  an  intricate  and  interminable  aggregation  of  buildings, 
at  one  point  advancing,  at  another,  receding,  yet  magnificent  amid 
this  apparent  confusion.  But  it  is  only  when  viewed  from  the 
garden,  that  the  vastness  of  the  huge  and  interminable  pile  is  fully 
realized.  You  are  now  perfectly  overwhelmed  with  the  extent  of 
the  mass.  Tlie  centre  of  the  facade  alone  is  three  hundred  feet 
front,  and  two  hundred  and  sixty  deep ;  while  on  each  side  of  it, 
a  wing  stretches  off  at  right  angles,  to  something  like  six  hundred 
feet,  presenting  an  entire  farade  of  nearly  two  thousand  feet,  or- 
namented with  Ionic  pilasters,  and  with  eighty  statues  sixteen  feet 
in  height,  allegorically  representing  the  months,  seasons,  arts,  and 
sciences,  and  crowned  by  a  ballustrade.  This  immense  fayade  is 
pierced  by  more  than  three  hundred  windoAvs  and  doors ;  and 
the  impression  of  the  vastness  of  tlie  whole  is  heightened  by 
remembering,  that  many  of  these  windows  admit  light  into  single 
halls  more  than  two  hundred  feet  in  length,  thirty-five  in  breadth, 
and  forty  in  height. 

Neither  is  the  visitor  less  astonished,  if  he  turns  his  attention 
to  the  grounds.  Not  only  is  he  struck  with  their  extent,  but  his 
mind  is  enraptured  with  admiration,  in  view  of  their  inconceivable 
beauty,  and  the  profusion  of  their  decorations.  From  fountains 
worked  on  a  gigantic  scale,  leap  forth  silvery  waters,  painting  to 
the  eye,  at  times,  every  hue  of  the  rainbow.  One  of  these  foun- 
tains, the  Neptune,  cost  three  hundred  thousand  dollars  ;  and  the 
expense  of  playing  it,  on  the  Sunday  fetes,  for  the  amusement  of 


224  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


the  people,  is  from  eight  thousand  to  ten  thousand  francs,  or  from 
fifteen  hundred  to  two  thousand  dollars.  Within  the  grounds  are 
large  lakes,  embowered  in  refreshing  groves,  on  which  glided  for- 
merly boats  and  even  ships,  for  the  amusement  of  royalty.  There 
are,  also,  two  minor  palaces,  mere  summer  houses  compared  with 
the  Chateau  itself;  but  the  larger  is  nearly  of  the  size  of  the 
President's  house  at  Washington.  These  are  called  the  Grand 
and  the  Petit  Trianon,  and  were  ei-ected  for  the  use  of  favorite 
mistresses.  Disgusted  with  the  unmeaning  pomp  of  royalty,  here 
the  beautiful  but  unfortunate  Marie  Antoinette  used  to  hie  away 
from  the  palace,  and  regale  in  happier  moments  her  buoyant  and 
graceful  life.  To  the  south,  is  the  orangery,  where  a  whole  grove 
of  these  trees  bloom  in  winter,  and  are  removed  m  summer  to  border 
the  avenues  and  walks,  and  load  the  air  with  their  rich  fragrance. 
The  avenues,  arbors,  the  margins  of  the  lakes,  and  the  fountains 
which  meet  the  visitor  at  every  turn,  are  appropriately  adorned 
with  countless  groups  of  beautiful  statuary,  imparting  a  classic  air 
to  the  whole  magnificent  scene. 

I  entered  the  palace  by  the  way  of  the  town.  In  the  court,  I 
was  immediately  besieged  by  persons  offering  themselves  for 
guides,  or  exposing  for  sale  hand-books  containing  a  succinct  ac- 
count of  the  palace  and  its  gardens.  Upon  the  frieze  of  the  im- 
posing front  of  the  main  range  of  buildings,  you  may  read  in  large 
golden  letters,  "  A  toutes  les  gloires  de  la  France"  which  indicate 
the  new  destination  of  the  palace  and  grounds,  under  the  reign  of 
Louis  Phillippe.  As  you  enter,  a  liveried  huissier  or  door-keeper 
politely  indicates  to  you  the  direction  you  are  to  take ;  and  at  the 
entrances  of  all  the  apartments,  these  persons  are  stationed  for 
the  same  purpose.  But  for  this  arrangement,  strangers  would 
find  it  impossible  to  make  their  way  successfully  through  the  laby- 
rinths of  rooms  of  the  interminable  Chateau.    In  regard  to  the 


MUSEUM  OF  VERSAILLES,  225 


extent  of  the  interior  of  the  palace,  I  can  only  say,  that  it  is 
judged  that  it  -would  require  two  hours  to  walk  through  the  entire 
estabhshment,  without  stopping  a  moment  to  examine  the  different 
objects.  I  was  myself  five  hours  in  going  through,  hastily  and 
with  intense  industry,  tarrying  only  long  enough  to  make  a  rapid 
inspection  of  some  object  particularly  remarkable,  or  peculiarly 
interesting  from  its  historical  associations.  The  splendor  of 
what  I  had  before  seen  in  the  Louvre  and  in  the  Luxembourg, 
was  lost  in  the  magnificence  of  this  palace.  The  painted  ceilings, 
the  pictured  walls,  the  size  and  number  of  its  mirrors,  the  highly 
finished  floors,  the  tapestry,  the  gilding,  the  exquisitely  wrought 
furniture,  admit  of  no  description  which  can  convey  an  adequate 
idea  of  its  sumptuousness.  The  Salon  d'Hercide,  and  the  Salles 
des  Marecheaux,  de  Venus,  Diane,  Mercure,  Mars,  ApoUon,  VAhon- 
dance,  de  la  Guerre,  etc.,  so  named  from  the  paintings  on  their 
ceilings,  walls,  or  other  appropriate  devices,  are  all  truly  noble 
apartments.  The  Grande  Gahrie  is  two  liundred  and  twenty- 
eight  feet  in  length,  by  thirty-two  feet  in  breadth,  and  forty-two 
feet  in  height.  The  ceiling,  painted  by  Le  Brun,  represents  some 
of  the  most  striking  events  in  the  early  part  of  the  reign  of 
Louis  XIV. 

The  Museum  of  Versailles  is  the  History  of  France  in  action. 
All  the  battles,  all  the  most  brilliant  actions,  are  here  represented, 
from  the  foundation  of  the  monarchy  up  to  the  pi'esent  day. 
Each  period  has  its  saloon  or  gallery.  A  part  of  the  ground-floor 
is  devoted  to  sculpture.  The  rest  of  the  palace  is  filled  with  pictures. 

Tiie  victories  of  the  llepublic,  and  the  glorious  events  of  the 
reign  of  Napoleon,  have  a  large  space  appropriated  to  them.  Here 
may  be  seen  tlie  grand  and  celebrated  compositions  of  the  Coro- 
nation, the  battles  of  Austerlitz,  d'Eylau,  and  many  otlier  pictures, 
master-pieces  of  the  modern  school  of  painting. 


226  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


The  more  recent  events,  of  the  Revolution  of  1830,  and  the 
brilliant  campaigns  in  Algiers,  have  also  a  place  appropriated  to 
them. 

The  historical  jx)rtraits  are  numerous.  First,  may  be  seen  a 
collection  of  the  portraits  of  all  the  kings  of  France  ;  afterwards, 
the  constables,  great  admirals,  and  marshals.  In  an  immense  sa- 
loon are  arranged,  besides,  the  portraits  of  personages  of  all  na- 
tions, and  times,  who  have  been  illustrious  either  upon  the  throne, 
or  in  war,  politics,  literature,  or  in  the  arts  and  sciences. 

One  entire  room  is  devoted  to  the  views  of  the  historical  cha- 
teaux of  France.  In  another,  is  a  collection  of  paintings  in  water- 
colors,  tracing  the  campaigns  of  Italy. 

The  busts  and  statues  form  an  extensive  and  interesting  col- 
lection of  the  most  celebrated  persons  of  all  countries  and  times. 
There  are,  besides,  the  tombs  of  the  kings,  queens,  and  princes- 
ses of  France. 

Many  of  the  works  are  from  the  most  celebrated  artists. 
Among  them  may  be  recognized  pictures,  from  the  pencil  of 
Horace  Vernet,  Paul  Delaroche,  Deveria,  and  a  host  of  other 
celebrites. 

Nothing  can  be  more  imposing  than  the  perspective  of  these 
immense  galleries,  and  range  of  rooms,  losing  themselves  in  the 
distance.  Those  called  after  the  luxurious  monarch,  Louis  XIV, 
I  thought  magnificent,  beyond  even  the  power  of  imagination  to 
conceive.  They  looked  directly  out  upon  the  garden,  and  were 
as  beautiful  and  gorgeous  as  the  finest  gilt,  marble,  and  glass  could 
be  formed  by  the  genius  of  man.  As  I  stood  at  the  entrance, 
memory  rolled  back  to  by-gone  years,  and  fancy  pictured  many  a 
gay  and  brilliant  scene  of  the  past,  when  the  monarch,  surrounded 
by  groups  of  the  gayest  and  most  chivalrous  gentlemen,  and  beau- 
tiful and  elegant  ladies  of  the  realm,  were  gliding  in  the  voluptuous 


HOTEL  DU  BRISSAC.  £27 


dance.  Such  a  living  picture  as  could  be  imagined  would  surpass 
a  fairy  scene. 

The  expense  of  keeping  up  such  an  establishment  has  deterred 
all  the  sovereigns  from  residing  there  since  the  Revolution.  At 
that  time,  it  suffered  greatly  by  the  irruption  of  the  populace  into 
the  chateau.  Its  decorations  were  then  much  mutilated.  Louis 
Philhppe,  with  his  grand  munificence,  restored,  at  his  private 
expense,  its  ancient  splendor,  and  gave  a  new  destination  to  the 
whole. 

I  took  lodging  for  the  night  at  the  Hotel  du  Brissac,  the  identi- 
cal house  once  occupied  by  the  duke  of  that  name,  a  circumstance 
upon  which  my  accommodating  landlord  frequently  dwelt,  as  if  it 
had  invested  his  house  with  some  strange  charm.  After  supper, 
which  was  excellent,  I  sauntered  out  in  quest  of  a  Cabinet  de 
Lecture,  or  reading-room,  but  finding  there  were  none,  I  realized 
fully  the  deprivation  of  what  constitutes,  in  Paris,  to  a  reading 
man,  so  agreeable  a  resort.  I  managed,  however,  to  spend  the 
evening  pleasantly  enough,  talking  fiimiliarly  with  the  landlord, 
his  wife,  and  such  gentlemen  as  happened  to  come  in.  One  of 
these  latter  told  me,  with  all  due  gravity,  that  the  Americans' and 
English  are  more  polite  than  the  French,  although  he  admitted 
that  the  French  are  the  more  gallant  of  the  two.  He  insisted, 
further,  that  the  English,  great  numbers  of  whom  reside  in  Ver- 
sailles, speak  French  more  coiTCctly  than  the  PVench  residents 
themselves.  I  took  this  as  coming  from  one  of  tliose  ambiguous 
personages  who  may  be  frequently  met  witli  in  Eurojte,  hanging 
about  hotels,  and  eking  out  a  scanty  subsistence  from  travellers, 
by  flattery,  or  ]>y  means  even  less  justifiable. 

Wliile  sitting  in  tlie  dining-hall,  the  family  came  in,  and  made 
their  supper,  consisting  of  soup,  a  scanty  supply  of  meat,  with 
cider   instead  of  wine.     They  were  followed   by  the  domestics, 


228  CRESTS  FROJI  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


who  appeared  in  the  merriest  mood  imaginable.  They  seemed 
not  to  suppose  that  I  had  ears  of  my  own ;  for  they  chatted  with 
unbounded  freedom  upon  any  subject  that  happened  to  come 
uppermost,  making  all  manner  of  remarks  about  my  humble  self. 
It  being  the  season  of  Carnival,  bright  anticipations  floated  in 
their  merry  minds,  and  lent  a  gay  volubility  to  their  irregular 
conversation. 

Domestics  at  the  hotels,  restaurants,  cafes,  and  other  hke 
places,  rarely  receive  compensation  for  their  services,  of  the  land- 
lord ;  but  rely  upon  what  they  can  obtain  from  travellers,  for 
favors  done,  such  as  cleansing  and  polishing  boots,  removing  bag- 
gage, etc.  Indeed,  in  some  establishments,  the  situation  is  so 
enviable  as  to  induce  the  domestic  to  purchase  his  place.  This 
being  the  case,  it  is  not  so  sui'prising  that  domestics  in  these  coun- 
tries are  somewhat  importunate  to  travellers.  It  was  the  rule  at 
this  establishment  for  the  domestics  to  retire,  ordinarily,  from  ten 
to  eleven  o'clock  ;  but  on  Sunday  evenings,  they  were  allowed  to 
go  to  masquerade  balls,  and  be  out,  if  they  chose,  all  night. 

Accommodations  and  fare  here,  were  excellent,  and  much  cheaper 
than  at  Paris. 

Feb.  8th.  Proceeded  early  to  the  Normal  school,  where,  after 
a  slight  delay,  I  was  admitted,  —  conducted  through  the  different 
apartments  of  the  building,  and  over  the  grounds,  by  one  of  the 
sub-teachers  assigned  by  the  director,  who  happened  himself  to 
be  engaged.  The  young  gentleman  who  accompanied  me,  was 
affable  in  his  manner,  particular  in  his  attentions  to  make  me 
see  all,  and  enthusiastic  to  have  me  duly  appreciate  the  various 
excellent  points  of  the  establishment.  I  was  also  admitted  to  the 
sessions  of  the  several  classes. 

This  school,  as  its  name  implies,  is  designed  to  educate  and  fit 
young  gentlemen  for  teachers  of  schools  in  the  smaller  towns  and 


NORMAL  SCHOOLS.  229 


niral  districts ;  although,  svich  as  graduate,  may  become  teachers 
in  any  school,  or  even  engage  in  other  pursuits,  if  it  should  turn 
out  that  their  peculiar  talent  and  tastes  make  the  departure  desir- 
able. The  number  of  students  between  the  ages  of  fourteen  and 
eighteen,  was  one  hundred  and  fifteen.  They  remain  but  two 
years,  and  do  not  study  the  languages.  There  is  a  juvenile  depart- 
ment connected  with  the  establishment,  comprising  several  schools, 
of  children  of  different  ages,  in  which  students  of  the  principal 
department  teach  by  turns,  as  a  preparatory  practice.  Students 
are  admitted  after  a  satisfactory  examination.  Among  other 
things,  they  are  required  to  be  able  to  pronounce  Latin,  without, 
however,  understanding  it.  The  average  compensation  of  the 
Normal  graduate,  in  a  good  situation,  is  from  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  to  two  hundred  dollars  per  annum,  —  the  latter  being 
considered  excellent  pay.  None  arc  admitted  without  boarding 
at  the  establishment.  No  corporal  punishment  is  permitted,  order 
being  maintained  by  moral  means,  system  of  demerits,  and  in 
other  such  ways.  Emulation  is  encouraged,  and  medals  awarded 
to  the  most  successful  and  worthy  students.  The  school  is  con- 
ducted by  a  principal  and  ten  professors,  one  for  each  department 
of  instruction,  namely,  Ancient  and  Modern  History  and  Geog- 
raphy, the  Art  of  Teaching,  Religion,  Mathematics,  Natural  His- 
tory, Book-keeping,  Music,  Designing  or  Drawing,  Gymnastics, 
etc.  I  was  shown  the  cabinet  and  library.  They  are  doubtless 
ample,  l)Lit  by  no  means  extensive.  The  students  were  muscular 
and  hale,  and  looked  as  if  they  came  from  the  rural  districts.  In- 
deed, many  of  them  wore  wooden  shoes,  and  were  dressed  in 
blouse.  The  building  is  not  imposing,  nor  the  rooms  superior.  A 
small  garden  is  assigned  the  students,  each  being  allotted  a  sepa- 
rate plot ;  and  after  the  first  year,  they  are  regularly  instructed  in 
the  theory  and  practice  of  agriculture.  In  the  play-ground  con- 
20 


230  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


nected  with  the  establishment  there  is  a  meagre  gymnasium  for 
physical  exercise.  I  must  confess  that  I  was  somewhat  disap- 
pointed in  the  school,  which  though  evidently  of  an  elevated  char- 
acter, and  conducted  with  ability,  yet  appeared  hardly  a  model 
school  for  the  nation.  Connected  with  the  Principal  department, 
there  are,  as  I  have  already  observed,  three  primary  schools,  over 
which  the  Director  has  a  supervision.  Two  are  for  very  small 
children ;  the  other  is  entitled,  Primary  School  Superior,  where 
lads  remain  four  years,  and  are  prepared  for  the  practical  avoca- 
tions of  life.  I  noticed  a  diflPerence  between  the  pronunciation  in 
Versailles  and  Paris. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

BEVOLUTION  OF  FEBRUARY  —  CAUSE,  REUNIONS  —  ITALIAN  IN- 
DEPENDENCE—  JUST  MILIEU  OF  MR.  GUIZOT  —  MORE  REMOTE 
CAUSES  —  LOUIS  PHILLIPrE  —  STORMY  SESSION  OF  THE  CHAM- 
BER OF  DEPUTIES  —  EVENING  SCHOOL  FOR  JOURNEYMEN  AND 
APPRENTICES — PALAIS  DE  LA  BOURSE  —  A  STROLL  IN  THE 
ENVIRONS    OF    PARIS  —  FORTIFICATIONS    OP    PARIS  —  PLACE  DE 

LA    CONCORDE  —  PARISIAN     CAFES  DAME     DU     COMPTOIR 

GARCON  —  DANCING  —  MODEL     OFFICE  —  THEATRE     FRANCAIS 

—  ORCHESTRA EXQUISITE      PLAYING  —  LECTURES       AT       THE 

SARBONNE  —  MONSIEUR    FRANK. 

Paris,  Feb.  dth.  I  spent  the  evening  in  the  Heading  Room, 
near  my  lodging,  -which  had  become  for  me  a  frequent  resort,  to 
frugalize  spare  moments  of  time  in  glancing  at  the  current  of 
events  and  opinions.  The  journals  were  filled  with  the  discussion 
in  the  Chamber  of  Deijuties,  which  had  become  ominously  ani- 
mated, if  not  exceedingly  violent.  The  debate  was  upon  the  last 
paragraph  of  the  address  of  the  Government  to  the  Chamber,  at 
the  opening  of  its  session,  and  particularly  upon  a  single  clause 
therein  contained,  by  which  such  as  had  participated  in  the  late 
Reunions,  were  characterized  as  politically  blind,  and  decidedly  in- 
imical to  the  government.  Tliese  Reunions  were  simply  political 
gatherings,  composed  mainly  of  opposition  members  and  their 
constituents,  held  at  various  times  in  difTerent  parts  of  the  king- 
dom, and  partook  somewhat  of  the  nature  of  social,   convivial 


232  CKESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WOELD. 

meetings  for  free  interchange  of  opinion  and  sentiment  upon  the 
policy  of  the  government,  and  the  condition  and  prospects  of  the 
country.  I  speak  now  of  the  ostensible  character  of  these  assem- 
blings. Undoubtedly,  the  real  purpose  among  the  few  contrivers 
of  the  scheme,  was  a  general  plan  of  agitation,  with  no  well  de- 
fined aim,  —  but  which  proved  a  poweiful  lever  for  a  change 
of  power.  At  some  of  these  Reunions  held  of  late,  gentlemen 
had  indulged  in  sentiments  well  calculated  to  irritate  or  alarm 
the  government.  At  one,  a  Polish  refugee  declaimed  wildly 
against  the  Russian  and  Austrian  governments,  and  complained 
bitterly  of  the  course„  pursued  by  the  French  minister.  On  com- 
plaint being  made  to  Louis  Phillippe,  by  the  ministers  of  the  for- 
mer governments,  the  noble  exile  was  summarily  punished  for  his 
temerity,  by  being  immediately  banished  the  kingdom.  At  an- 
other banquet,  the  customary  sentiment  of  drinking  the  health  of 
the  king,  was  omitted.  These,  and  othei-  plain  indications  of  a 
rapidly  growing  spirit  of  democratical  audacity,  joined,  doubtless, 
with  a  lively  conviction  of  its  danger,  unless  opportunely  checked, 
had  determined  the  government  upon  measures  to  stay  its  prog- 
ress. Hence  the  introduction  of  the  topic  in  the  Address,  as  just 
mentioned. 

Aside  from  the  energy  of  will  and  power  for  unfaltering  perse- 
verance which  arbitrary  opposition  is  always  sure  to  impart,  the  agi- 
tators and  the  popular  party  had  their  enthusiasm  aroused  and  sym- 
pathies ardently  excited,  by  the  struggle  for  freedom  then  going 
on  in  Italy  —  that  land  of  noble  and  animating  recollections  — 
against  the  crushing  and  blighting  tyi-anny  of  Austria.  The  cold- 
hearted  and  unnatural  attitude  of  the  French  government  toward 
the  unequal  combatants,  and  particularly  the  equivocal  policy  of 
M.  Guizot,  its  Prime  Minister,  as  expressed  by  him  in  the  noto- 
rious phrase,  Le  Juste  Milieu,  or  Masterly  Inactivity,  as  American 


OPPOSITION  TO  GOVERNMENT.  233 


politicians  would  have  it,  only  deepened  the  feeling  of  resentment 
toward  the  government,  and  fanned  the  flame  of  feeling  for  popu- 
lar rights.  ^England  had  openly  expressed  her  sympathy  for 
bleeding  Italy ;  and  that  France,  the  rival  of  England,  herself  the 
most  powerful  and  enlightened  nation  in  Western  Europe,  —  a 
nation,  too,  that  had  already  sacrificed  so  freely  in  blood  and 
treasure,  for  human  freedom,  should  now  inhumanly  fold  her  arms 
in  a  sort  of  stoical  indifference  not  only  to  abstract  justice,  but  to 
the  fate  of  human  liberty  on  the  Continent,  was  not  only  a  derelic- 
tion from  the  plainest  principles  of  humanity,  but  would  ever  con- 
stitute an  unpardonable  national  reproach.  This  sentiment  wid- 
ened and  deepened,  seizing  the  thought  and  sympathy  even  of  the 
more  conservative  part  of  the  nation.  Itahan  propagandism 
spread  rapidly,  as  on  the  wing  of  thought,  to  every  part  of  the 
kingdom.  It  diffused  itself  and  penetrated  among  the  mass  of 
the  population  with  electric  celerity,  awaking  in  the  national  heart 
stirring  reminiscences  of  past  glory,  modified,  indeed,  by  a  feeling 
of  shame  and  indignation  against  the  government.  The  French- 
man of  republican  tendencies  recognized  in  every  Italian  patriot 
a  suffering  brother,  and  saw  in  Austrian  tyranny  the  prelude  of 
his  own  bondage.  These  were  some  of  the  immediate  circum- 
stances that  had  sprung  up  to  widen  the  breach  between  the  Gov- 
ernment and  the  Opposition ;  and  to  hasten  the  grand  crisis  which 
was  sooner  or  later  to  fall  upon  the  nation  like  an  avalanche. 
There  were  other  causes,  fundamental,  of  long  but  powerihl  action, 
gradually  but  surely  alienating  the  mind  of  the  nation  from  the 
Government,  and  preparing  it  for  a  grand  revolt.  To  understand 
the  exact  postui-e  of  affairs  at  tliis  time,  it  will  be  necessai-y  to 
glance  at  these,  even  at  the  risk  of  becoming  tedious. 

The  luxurious  expensiveness  of  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV,  the 
licentious  extravagance  of  Louis  XV,  together  with  the  popular 

20* 


234  CRESTS  l-llOiM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


writers  of  those  reigns  upon  the  grandeur  and  beauty  of  freedom  of 
thought  and  political  equality,  had  prepared  the  way  for  the  Revo- 
lution of  1789.  The  vacillating  conduct  of  Louis  XVI,  the  deranged 
state  of  the  finances  when  he  was  called  to  the  throne,  and  the  success 
of  the  American  Revolution,  were  circumstances  that  precipitated 
that  mighty  event.  The  insane  fury  of  the  revolution  itself,  the  all- 
grasping  ambition  of  Napoleon,  and  the  success  of  the  allied  armies, 
restored  the  monarchy,  but  they  did  not  quench  the  spirit  of  political 
freedom  and  human  improvement  in  the  national  breast.  The  reap- 
pearance of  Napoleon  upon  the  soil  of  France  revived  the  national 
sentiment  for  its  old  prestige  of  liberty,  and  at  the  approach  of  the 
new  luminaiy,  Louis  XVIIL  fled  from  his  throne,  like  a  shadow 
chased  by  the  sun.  The  second  defeat  of  the  "  Man  of  Destiny" 
placed  the  yoke  of  monarchy  again  upon  the  unwilling  neck  of  the 
nation.  As  soon  as  the  democratic  spirit  of  the  nation  had  had 
time  to  rally  and  combine  its  forces,  Charles  X.  was  repulsed  from 
the  throne  of  his  ancestors. 

Lafayette,  then  the  oracle  of  the  free  party,  believing  France 
not  yet  ripe  for  an  unlimited  republic,  declared  in  favor  of  a  con- 
stitutional monarchy,  and  Louis  Phillippe,  son  of  the  atrocious 
egalite,  was  elected  the  "  Citizen  King,"  amid  a  profusion  of  prom- 
ises to  obey  the  spirit  of  the  nation.  The  country  further  imagined, 
that  from  the  impulse  imbibed  from  his  jacobin  fathei',  in  his  own 
political  predilections  as  shown  in  his  public  career,  in  his  wis- 
dom gained  in  the  school  of  experience,  and  in  his  knowledge  of 
the  fate  of  his  predecessors,  they  had  a  sure  guarantee  of  his  de- 
votion to  liberal  principles.  But  in  this  they  were  to  be  doomed 
to  utter  disappointment.  Louis  Phillippe  has  strong  claims  for 
respect  and  admiration  upon  the  French  nation,  and  upon  the 
world  ;  but  he  did  not  fulfil  the  mission  for  which  he  was  chosen. 
He  possessed  vast  experience,  a  luminous  intellect,  and  a  liberal 


LOUIS  PHILLIPPE.  235 


and  humane  spirit.  His  family  was  a  model  of  mental  industry, 
moral  purity,  and  domestic  affection.  He  improved  the  system 
of  public  instruction,  placing  it  upon  a  liberal  basis,  and  gen- 
erously fostered  all  kinds  of  literary  and  humane  institutions. 
He  was  a  liberal  patron  of  the  arts,  spending  large  sums  of  his 
private  fortune  for  their  promotion.  He  more  than  once  pre- 
served the  peace  of  Europe,  when  events  threatened  a  general 
conflagration  of  war.  He  was  magnanimous  toward  the  fallen 
family  of  Napoleon.  And  the  general  spirit  of  his  policy  was 
humane,  liberal,  and  peaceful,  calculated  to  promote  the  great 
branches  of  industry  and  the  moral  and  intellectual  improvement 
of  tiie  nation.  Still,  he  neglected  the  great  principle  which  placed 
him  upon  the  throne ;  and  for  this  unpardonable  dereliction,  he 
was  dreadfully  punished.  Several  distinct  acts  of  his  reign  may 
be  cited  to  confirm  this  position.  He  usurped  the  elective  fran- 
chise, by  greatly  narrowing  the  basis  of  popular  representation. 
The  Chamber  of  Peers  became  little  more  than  a  creation  of  the 
king,  without  independence  of  action,  or  true  dignity.  Tiie  Cham- 
ber of  Deputies,  the  popular  branch  of  the  legislature,  upon  which 
the  hopes  of  the  nation  relied  to  carry  on  the  popular  reform,  lost 
its  efficiency  by  the  bestowment  upon  many  of  its  leading  members 
of  a  part  of  the  enormous  government-patronage  in  the  hands  of 
the  king,  to  purchase  their  influence  to  the  royal  cause.  He  con- 
tracted a  marriage  between  one  of  his  sons  and  the  sister  of  the 
Queen  of  Spain,  in  violation  of  a  solemn  treaty,  thus  endangering 
the  peace  of  Europe.  He  surrounded  Paris  with  stupendous  for- 
tifications, at  an  enormous  cost  to  the  nation,  with  the  ostensible 
purpose  of  protecting  the  capital  from  foreign  invasion ;  but  doubt- 
less with  the  real  design  to  give  firmness  to  his  own  power.  These 
are  some  of  the  acts  which  give  an  idea  of  his  policy.  For  some 
time  after  his  accession  to  the  throne,  he  flattered  the  hopes  of 


236  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

the  liberal  party.  He  was  wont  to  mingle  freely  with  the  popu- 
lace, and  occasionally  to  join  in  the  chorus  of  the  3farsellaise.  He 
educated  his  sons  in  the  public  schools,  to  identify  them  with  the 
sympathies  of  the  people.  He  sympathized  with  the  Italian  and 
Spanish  patriots ;  but  Austria  and  Russia  became  alarmed  at  the 
danger  of  France  becoming  the  centre  of  republican  institutions 
in  Europe,  and  the  propagandist  of  liberal  principles  on  the  con- 
tinent. Envoys  were  immediately  despatched  from  those  powers 
to  Paris.  From  this  moment,  the  "  Citizen  King"  seems  to  have 
taken  his  part.  He  gradually  turned  his  back  upon  Lafayette, 
and  Lafitte,  to  whom  he  owed  his  crown.  He  repudiated  the  pro- 
gramme of  liberal  principles,  acknowledged  by  him  at  the  Hotel 
de  Ville,  and  fell  back  upon  the  Chatre  as  the  limitation  of  con- 
stitutional power.  He  denied  the  professions  of  political  faith 
which  he  had  made  in  conversation  with  Lafayette ;  —  and  he  ap- 
plied, continually,  the  untiring  energies  of  his  powerful  mind,  the 
resources  of  France,  and  his  own  enormous  private  fortune,  to 
the  consolidation  of  his  power  and  the  perpetuation  of  his  dynasty. 
The  leading  powers  of  Europe  recognized  his  legitimacy,  and  en- 
tered with  him  into  an  alliance ;  and  with  them  as  allies,  and  the 
vast  army  of  four  hundred  thousand  men  in  France,  he  hoped  to 
secure  the  permanency  of  his  throne.  But  it  proved  that  the 
spirit  of  human  liberty  is  more  powerful  than  armies. 

The  disaifection  in  the  nation  had  become  general.  The  legi- 
timists regarded  him  as  a  usurper ;  the  liberal  party  looked  upon 
him  as  a  traitor ;  the  press,  —  the  more  powerful  in  France  as  it  is 
often  conducted  by  the  most  eminent  writers,  —  spread  the  grounds 
of  discontent  before  the  masses  of  the  nation,  and  with  that  verve 
of  eloquence  peculiar  to  the  French  language  in  the  hands  of  a 
skilful  writer,  excited  all  minds  to  revolt.  Such  was  the  posture 
of  affairs  in  February,  1848,  when  the  National  Assembly  were  in 


CHAMBER  OF  DEPUTIES.  237 

session  to  deliberate  upon  the  affairs  of  the  nation.  It  is  true,  all 
was  peaceful  and  harmonious  without ;  but  penetrating  minds  well 
foresaw  the  certainty  of  an  approaching  crisis.  Louis  Phillippe 
had,  indeed,  the  body  of  the  nation  in  his  hands  5  but  its  spirit  had 
eluded  his  grasp. 

The  sessions  of  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  had  become  stormy, 
and  the  debate  intensely  fierce.  The  pending  question  of  the 
right  to  hold  the  banquets,  had  drawn  forth  the  leading  talent  of 
the  Chamber,  and  this  question  was  made  a  pretext  for  discussing 
the  foreign  policy  of  the  nation.  M.  Guizot,  the  Prime  Minister, 
and  a  consummate  parliamentary  orator,  maintained  the  position 
of  the  government  with  a  coolness  and  ability  that  commanded 
universal  admiration.  The  opposition  orators,  on  their  part,  were 
by  turns  sarcastic  and  impassioned.  IVI.  Thiers  charged  the  gov- 
ernment with  yielding  up  Switzerland  and  Italy  to  the  rapacious 
grasp  of  Austria, —  thus  lending  the  mighty  power  of  the  nation 
to  retard  the  glorious  march  of  enlightened  freedom  upon  the 
Continent.  "  What !  "  exclaimed  Lamartine,  in  one  of  his  noble 
bursts  of  eloquence,  "  shall  France,  the  foremost  country  in  pro- 
gress and  freedom  in  the  old  world,  side  with  despotic  Austria, 
her  old  rival  and  foe,  to  crush  the  struggling  spirit  of  freedom 
which  France  has  crossed  a  sea  of  blood  to  protect,  and  leave  to 
England  the  honor  of  advancing  the  liberties  of  the  world  ?  " 
These  speeches  were  spread  rapidly  over  the  country,  and  fell 
like  firebrands  among  the  already  excited  populace.  Had  some 
compromise  been  made  at  this  critical  juncture,  the  downfall  of 
the  monarchy  might  have  been  arrested ;  but  the  government 
seemed  fated  to  its  destruction. 

Feb.  Wth.  One  of  the  Freres  kindly  accompanied  me  to  one 
of  the  evening  schools  for  journeymen  and  apprentices.  Here 
I  was  cordially  accosted  by  two  teachers  whom   I   had  before 


238  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WOELD. 


met.  One  spoke  a  leetle  English,  as  he  termed  it,  and  seemed 
proud  of  his  enviable  attainment.  The  school  is  composed  prin- 
cipally of  adults,  although  it  has  a  juvenile  class.  The  appren- 
tices number  not  more  than  one-fiftieth  of  this  class  in  the  city ;  yet 
the  journeymen  are  as  large  a  proportion  as  one-fifteenth.  Most 
of  the  students  whom  I  saw,  were  engaged  in  drawing,  —  and 
some  of  their  specimens  shown  me,  were  fine.  I  inspected  a  mo- 
del steam  engine,  made  entirely  by  a  boy,  after  his  daily  task.  It 
was  ingenious  and  beautiful,  but  cost  two  years'  effort.  Several 
other  equally  curious  specimens  of  work  I  had  the  gratification  to 
inspect.  They  usually  make  the  drawing  in  the  class  at  school,  and 
then  model  from  it  at  home,  at  their  leisure.  The  school  is  sup- 
ported by  the  government,  and  is  entirely  free.  It  cannot  but 
prove  a  useful  institution,  and  will  doubtless  be  better  patronized, 
when  its  merits  are  more  fully  appreciated.  It  had  already 
been  instrumental  in  calhng  forth  native  talent,  which  might  other- 
wise have  slumbered  in  the  breast  of  its  possessor.  It  moreover 
attests  the  paternal  care  of  the  government. 

Feb.  ISth.  In  my  ramblings  to-day,  I  accidentally  stumbled 
upon  the  Palais  de  la  Bourse,  or  Merchants'  Exchange.  It  is  a 
magnificent  edifice,  standing  in  the  middle  of  a  handsome  square, 
surrounded  by  shade-trees.  It  is  of  recent  construction,  having 
been  commenced  only  in  1808.  The  plan  of  the  building  pre- 
sents a  parallelogram  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  in  length, 
by  one  hundred  and  thirty-four  in  width,  surrounded  by  a  fine  pe- 
ristyle of  sixty-six  Corinthian  columns,  raised  upon  an  elevated 
basement.  A  gallery,  ornamented  with  bass-reliefs,  emblematical 
of  the  operations  of  commerce,  extends  quite  around  the  building. 
The  interior  has  a  single  grand  hall,  for  the  free  intercourse  of  the 
sons  of  Mammon.  There  is,  however,  a  small  space  of  a  circular 
form,  and  surrounded  by  a  railing,  in  the  south  part  of  the  room, 


PALAIS  DE  LA  BOURSE.  239 


allotted  to  the  salesman  of  stocks,  to  separate  him  from  the  crowd. 
Sales  were  going  on  at  the  time.  A  number  of  persons  pressed 
closely  around  the  enclosure  just  alluded  to,  while  a  man  within 
was  conducting  the  sale  with  half-frantic  gestures,  and  with  most 
intense  and  impetuous  earnestness.  The  competition  among  the 
buyers  was  apparently  so  eager  and  furious,  that  the  bids  appeared 
simultaneous.  The  vaulted  arch  of  the  edifice,  by  some  principle 
of  acoustics,  increased  and  reverberated  the  sound,  which  rolled 
along  the  spacious  room,  through  the  gallery  into  the  decorated  tri- 
bunes, in  a  commingled  and  deafening  roar.  The  scene  appeared 
to  me  incomprehensible  and  ludicrous.  I  could  not  for  the  life  of 
me  perceive  how  the  salesman  could  distinguish  between  the  bids, 
so  great  was  the  confusion  and  the  interminable  roar  of  sound ; 
but  the  ear  can  become  betrained  to  wonders. 

Feb.  ISth.  The  day  was  fine,  and  the  atmosphere  soft.  It 
being  the  first  really  spring-like  day  since  my  arrival,  the  effect 
upon  my  feelings  was  such  as  to  tempt  me  out  for  a  stroll  amid 
some  of  the  charming  environs  of  Paris.  In  passing  through  the 
garden  of  the  Tuileries  and  the  Champs  Elysees,  it  became  evi- 
dent that  my  feelings  were  shared  by  many  others.  Those  en- 
chanting resorts  were  thronged  with  persons  of  different  sexes  and 
ages,  eager  to  drink  in  the  first  incense  of  the  early  dawn  of  the 
approaching  spring.  In  the  garden  of  the  Tuileries,  my  heart 
was  gladdened  by  the  sight  of  covies  of  rosy  children  prettily 
and  tastefully  dressed.  They  were  gambolling  about  on  the 
smooth  walks,  as  happy  in  their  fresh  and  sunny  existence,  as  the 
most  joyful  nature  could  desire.  They  were  attended,  of  course, 
by  their  nurses,  tidily  dressed,  who  with  a  sedate  aspect  appeared 
to  have  one  eye  upon  their  knitting,  or  some  other  light  work, 
while  the  other,  glistening  with  moisture,  was  peering  after  the 
dear  little  loving  creatures,  their  tiny  wards  and  adopted  idols.  In 


240  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


some  family  groups  were  infants  borne  by  servants,  —  the  former 
of  whom  appeared  not  unapt  emblems  of  the  approaching  spring, 
just  budding  into  a  hopeful  existence.  In  the  Champs  Elysees, 
thousands  of  elegantly  dressed  people,  with  countenances  beaming 
with  agreeable  sensations,  wei-e  gaily  promenading  the  wide  ave- 
nues, or  indolently  sauntering  under  the  majestic  elms  that  line 
the  Avalks,  or  gazing  with  delight  upon  the  groups  of  statuary  with 
which  this  paradise  is  graced,  —  or,  perhaps  voluptuously  reclining 
upon  the  seats,  watching  the  varied  tlirong,  and  yielding  to  the  de- 
licious sensations  which  the  scene  and  circumstances  induced. 
From  the  Triumphal  Arch,  that  fit  emblem  of  the  Great  Cap- 
tain, I  took  my  course  by  chance  off  to  the  northwest,  and  was 
almost  immediately  in  an  extended  and  charming  grove.  The 
ground  here  for  any  extent  is  as  level  as  an  artificial  lawn.  The 
trees  of  oak,  locusts,  and  other  varieties,  and  of  less  size  than 
half-grown  forests,  had  been  carefully  trimmed  to  present  a  neat 
and  uniform  appearance.  No  undergrowth  was  permitted  to  ob- 
struct the  view  of  the  passer,  or  to  entangle  the  feet  of  the  loiterer. 
This  prim  and  smiling  area  of  wood  is  handsomely  intersected  in 
various  directions  by  wide  avenues  bordered  by  stately  locusts,  and 
presenting  to  the  eye  pleasing  vistas  narrowing  off  in  the  distance 
to  the  merest  point.  These  avenues  were  everywhere  thronged 
with  neatly  or  elegantly  attired  promenaders,  with  countenances 
glowing  with  grateful  emotions  and  the  exhilarating  effects  of  the 
genial  atmosphere  and  the  brisk  exercise,  —  while  there  would  oc- 
casionally roll  past  some  pleasure-vehicle  or  family  carriage,  bear- 
ing steadily  on,  perhaps,  some  world-exclusive  individual,  or  per- 
chance a  pleasure-dreaming  couple,  or  more  likely,  a  dignified 
family  circle.  Not  unfrequently  the  scene  was  animated  by  a 
single  equestrian  or  troop  in  graceful  and  chivalrous  costume, 
sweeping  proudly  on.     Here  and  there  upon  the  road,  or  in  the 


NEW  FORTIFICATIONS  OF  PAEIS.  241 

woods,  might  be  seen  or  heard  groups  of  country  beaux  and  las- 
ses in  their  rustic  but  picturesque  dress,  chatting  in  lively  mood, 
and  occasionally  making  the  silent  woods  ring  with  their  peals  of 
laughter,  so  clear  and  silvery,  as  well  nigh  to  startle  the  wood- 
nymphs  from  their  cozy  retreats.  As  I  proceeded  on,  there  fre- 
quently gleamed  through  the  slim  trunks  of  the  trees,  a  silvery 
sheet  of  water,  or  burst  rapturously  forth  a  fine  chateau,  beautified 
with  the  treasures  of  nature  and  art.  I  never  experienced  any- 
thing more  delightful  in  the  way  of  rural  scenery  ;  and  if  I  had 
been  suddenly  translated  to  the  veritable  Elysium,  I  could  not 
have  felt  happier  for  the  moment.  Doubtless  the  change  from 
the  city,  and  other  circumstances,  had  much  to  do  in  heightening 
the  effect  of  the  agreeable  in  the  scene. 

On  emerging  from  the  Bois  de  Boulogne,  on  my  return  I  spent 
a  brief  hour  in  observing  a  portion  of  the  magnificent  new  fortifi- 
cations of  Paris.  The  plan  of  the  work  consists  of  two  distinct 
features,  —  a  continuous  enclosure,  bastioned  and  terraced,  around 
the  whole  city,  with  a  line  of  wet  ditches  in  front,  and  a  system 
of  detached  fortresses,  fourteen  in  number,  outside.  The  detached 
forts  are  furnished  with  mortars  that  can  reach  the  limit  of  a  cir- 
cle more  than  six  thousand  feet  in  diameter ;  and  they  are  so  situ- 
ated as  to  command  every  street,  place,  and  house  in  the  capital, 
except  a  space  containing  the  palace  of  the  Tuileries,  the  gardens, 
and  a  passage  leading  from  the  palace  towards  St.  Germain,  af- 
fording the  royal  family  or  government  a  way  of  escape,  in  case 
the  fortifications  sliould  fall  into  the  hands  of  an  enemy.  It  is 
believed  by  military  men,  that  they  would  not  prove  an  impreg- 
nable barrier  against  an  invading  army,  although  most  efficient  in 
demolishing  the  city,  or  reducing  it,  by  cutting  off  supplies. 

In  1841,  one  hundred  and  forty  millions  of  francs,  or  about 
twenty-eight  millions  of  dollars,  were  reluctantly  appropriated  by 

21 


242  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


the  Chamber  of  Deputies,  for  this  grand  war-measure ;  and  how 
much  more  has  since  been  absorbed  in  the  ambitious  project,  I 
am  not  able  to  say.  From  the  commencement,  the  works  were 
prosecuted  amid  strong  opposition,  with  an  energy  unparalleled  in 
the  history  of  human  exertion.  The  late  king  took  a  personal 
interest  in  their  speedy  completion,  choosing  to  meet  the  expense 
of  contracts  from  his  private  purse,  rather  than  suffer  any  delay  in 
their  execution.  It  seems  that  the  several  rulers  of  France  have 
sought  to  leave  some  grand  monument  of  art,  to  illustrate  their 
reign,  —  each  vieing  to  surpass  those  who  had  preceded  him,  in 
grandeur  and  magnificence ;  but  these  efforts  here,  as  elsewhere, 
have  often  served  to  surround  their  memory  with  associations  dif- 
ferent from  what  was  intended  by  their  authors.  The  enormous 
cost  of  St.  Peter's  church  at  Rome,  ushered  in  the  Reformation 
in  Germany.  The  countless  treasures  expended  on  the  Versailles 
Palace,  was  among  the  principal  causes  of  the  Revolution  of  1789 ; 
while  the  fortifications  of  Paris,  the  grandest  of  the  works  of 
Louis  PhiUippe,  proved  but  a  treacherous  power  to  expel  him 
from  his  throne,  to  die  in  a  foreign  land. 

It  was  evening  before  I  reached  the  Champs  Elysees.  A  vast 
throng  were  silently  sweeping  along  with  me  through  the  Avenue 
de  Neuilly,  as  if  eager  to  regain  the  fascinations  of  the  voluptu- 
ous capital.  The  scene  now  on  my  return,  though  different,  was 
hardly  less  striking  than  before.  The  gray  folds  of  evening  had 
invested  the  various  prominent  objects  along  the  route,  with  a  new 
aspect  of  admiration.  The  double  row  of  lights  along  the  ave- 
nue, gradually  descending  and  narrowing  in  the  distance,  appeared 
like  continuous  ranges  of  glittering  golden  balls,  suspended  from 
the  soft  branches  of  the  majestic  elms  above,  through  which  the 
vesperian  zephyrs  were  sighing  with  mellifluous  cadence.  Reaching 
the  Place  de  la  Concorde,  I  could  not  but  pause  and  enjoy  awhile 


CHAMPS  ELYSEES.  243 


the  surrounding  beauty.  This  magnificent  spot  combines  a  varied 
and  powerful  interest,  arising  from  the  unrivalled  beauty  of  the 
place  itself,  its  touching  historical  associations,  and  the  splendid 
views  of  which  it  is  the  radiant  focus.  In  the  centre,  upon  the 
identical  spot  where  was  beheaded  the  good  Louis  XVI,  as  w^ell 
as  his  lovely  and  lamented  queen,  rises  the  beautiful  Egyptian 
obelisk,  eighty  feet  high,  a  memorial  of  ages  merged  in  the  ob- 
livious past,  upon  which  mortals,  separated  from  us  by  the  abyss 
of  time,  had  gazed  and  thought.  This  justly  admired  shaft,  con- 
sisting of  a  single  block  of  rose-colored  granite,  was  cut  and 
erected  by  Ramases  I.  and  II.,  and  the  shaft  is  covered  with  hiero- 
glyphics extolling  the  actions  of  that  king  or  Sesostris.  On  either 
side  were  two  magnificent  fountains,  thought  to  be  the  finest  in 
the  world,  throwing  up  their  pearly  jets  into  the  air  from  the 
mouths  of  sporting  dolj^hins,  swans  and  fish,  held  by  swimming 
Nereids  and  Tritons.  Interspersed  around  were  groups  of  statuary 
allegorical  of  the  different  towns  of  France,  —  from  which  the 
lights  gleamed,  heightening  their  effect.  Through  the  trees  com- 
posing the  forests  of  the  Champs  Elysees  were  glimmering  and 
flashing  brilliant  gas-lights  of  palaces  and  theatres,  and  of  hun- 
dreds of  moving  carriages.  To  the  east  was  the  garden  of  the 
Tuileries,  faintly  illumined  by  the  streaming  light  from  the  palace- 
windows.  At  other  times  you  may  see,  now  the  superb  colonnade 
of  the  Garde-Meuble,  again  the  facade  of  the  Madeline,  or  the 
magnificent  portico  of  the  Chamber  of  Deputies. 

Turning  off  from  the  Garden  of  the  Tuileries,  by  a  gate  on  tlie 
north,  I  was  soon  in  the  open  square  of  the  Palais  Royal.  A 
flood  of  light  streamed  from  the  windows  of  the  numerous  cafes 
and  restaurants  of  this  delectable  spot.  Entering  one  of  the  latter 
of  liumbler  pretensions,  I  readily  had  my  sharpened  appetite  ap- 
peased, by  a  frugal  meal,  but  of  delicious  quality,  and  served  in 


244  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


the  most  elegant  style  imaginable.  It  consisted,  first  of  a  plate 
of  soup,  second  of  fricaseed  chicken,  third  of  veal,  and  fourth,  of 
fish ;  bread  at  discretion  ;  for  desert,  was  a  plate  of  cakes  served 
in  cream,  and  all  accompanied  with  a  half-bottle  of  wine.  The 
charge  for  the  whole  was  but  thirty-two  cents.  The  dishes  were 
brought  in  separately,  and  appeared  to  have  been  prepared  ex- 
pressly for  the  meal,  the  moment  before.  To  be  sure,  the  quan- 
tity served  on  each  plate  was  nicely  small ;  still,  when  I  had  eaten 
of  all,  I  was  quite  satisfied.  I  do  not  think  the  same  meal  could 
have  been  procured  in  Boston  or  New  York  for  double  the  sum, 
notwithstanding  the  price  of  provision  averages  a  third  more  at 
least  in  Paris,  than  in  the  United  States. 

The  estaminets,  the  restaurants,  and  the  cafes,  of  Paris,  are 
marked  features  in  the  capital.  The  traveller  may  search  Eu- 
rope throughout,  and  he  will  find  nothing  to  correspond  with  them ; 
and  as  for  the  United  States,  whatever  may  be  found  there,  are 
but  sorry  imitations.  The  general  distinctions  between  them  are 
these  :  An  estaminet  is  a  place  where  tobacco  is  smoked,  various 
sorts  of  beverage  are  drunk,  and  generally  cards  and  billiards 
played.  A  restaurant  is  one,  where  breakfasts  and  dinners  are 
eaten.  A  cafe  is  another,  where  breakfasts  are  taken,  dominos 
played,  and  where  coffee,  ices,  and  all  refreshing  drinks  may  at 
any  hour  be  enjoyed. 

There  are  some  four  or  five  hundred  cafes  in  Paris  alone.  Their 
different  grades  answer  to  the  different  ranks  of  society,  from  the 
cabinet-minister  to  the  nameless  sans  culottes.  In  the  quarter  of 
the  Sarbonne  are  cafes,  frequented  principally  by  the  class  of  stu- 
dents; others  by  professors;  others  still,  by  cabinet-ministers. 
Every  theatre  has  in  its  vicinity  a  cafe.  At  these  cafes,  and 
likewise  those  of  the  Boulevard  du  Temple,  principally  congregate 
the  actors,  the  actresses,  and  the  dramatic  authors  of  the  time. 


CAFES  OF  PARIS.  245 


It  is  thus  that  the  cafes  answer  in  a  measure  the  purpose  of  clubs ; 
and  some,  where  the  literati  congregate,  are  still  associated  with 
the  name  of  Voltaire,  -Rousseau,  and  others,  who  with  their  pro- 
fessional friends,  used  there  to  assemble,  and  uncork  their  spirits 
and  humor. 

These  establishments  are  frequented  by  ladies,  as  well  as  gen- 
tlemen. In  the  best  of  them  may  frequently  be  seen  elegantly 
dressed  and  well-behaved  ladies,  either  alone,  or  in  company  with 
friends,  husbands  and  children.  This  mode  of  living  is  convenient, 
agreeable,  economical,  and  gratifies  their  taste  by  enabling  them 
to  see  the  beau  monde.  The  families  of  many  of  the  respectable 
classes  of  merchants  and  professional  men,  and  others,  live  in  this 
way.  They  doubtless  share  a  larger  amount  of  social  enjoy- 
ment in  this  way,  than  they  could  in  any  other.  But  the  evil 
of  the  system  is,  that  the  Parisian  has  no  home,  —  and  even 
has  no  word  in  his  language  to  express  the  endearing  place; 
—  although  social  beyond  all  other  men,  he  is  yet  not  at  all  do- 
mestic. 

The  Palais  Royal  is  a  quarter  of  the  magnificent  cafes.  Some 
of  these  vie  with  the  most  gorgeous  saloons  of  royalty,  in  taste  and 
splendor.  Let  me  attempt  to  introduce  my  reader  to  one  of  these. 
If  it  be  the  first  time,  you  are  at  once  dazzled  with  the  view  which 
presents  itself.  The  room  is  spacious.  The  decorations  in  vari- 
ous parts  are  in  such  gorgeous  profusion,  that  it  recalls  v/hatever 
you  may  have  read  of  Persian  magnificence.  The  ceiling  and 
walls  are  elaborately  wrought  here  and  there  into  the  most  lovely 
frescos  of  birds  and  flowers,  —  fawns,  nymphs,  graces,  and  images 
in  all  fantastic  forms.  Four  immense  and  gilded  chandeliers 
hang  from  the  ceiling.  A  tall  candelabra  rises  in  the  centre  of 
the  room,  and  two  beautiful  lamps  stand  on  the  comptoir.  Tliese 
lights,  illuminating  these  colors  and  this  gilding,  make  the  scene 
21* 


246  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


brilliant  beyond  description.  And  then  the  mirrors,  so  located 
as  to  double  and  redouble,  yes,  twenty  times  to  reflect  what  has 
been  described.  It  is  not  one  cafe  that  you  have  seen  to  dazzle 
and  enchant,  but  a  score  of  them. 

As  you  enter,  you  politely  raise  your  hat.  The  token  of  courtesy 
is  recognized  by  the  dame-de-comptoir  by  a  gentle  inclination  so 
graceful,  easy,  and  complaisant  as  not  to  be  surpassed.  This  fair 
personage  occupies,  in  another  part  of  the  room,  a  seat  covered 
with  velvet  fine  enough  for  a  throne,  behind  an  elevated  desk  with 
a  marble  top.  She  is  the  queen,  the  divinity,  the  presiding  genius 
of  the  fairy  place,  and  attends  to  its  affairs,  receiving  strangers, 
directing  servants,  and  arranging  accounts,  with  a  grace  and 
promptness  that  no  human  being  but  a  French  woman  could  at- 
tain. This  lady  sits  stately  behind  her  comptoir.  Two  large  silver 
vases  stand  in  front  of  her,  filled  with  spoons.  At  her  right  hand 
are  several  elegant  decanters,  and  at  her  left  a  score  of  silver  cups, 
lumped  with  sugar.  There  is,  moreover,  a  little  bell  within  her 
reach,  to  summon  the  gar^on,  and  wide-open  before  her  are  the 
treasury-boxes  of  the  cafe.  Her  influence,  by  her  graceful  pres- 
ence, tends  to  refine  the  whole  scene.  The  lady  in  question  is 
dressed  in  exquisite  taste,  a  mellow  serenity  beams  from  her  coun- 
tenance, and  there  is  an  unconscious  dignity  and  inimitable  finesse 
in  her  whole  bearing,  that  places  her  beyond  corporeal  life.  Many 
a  one  of  these  cafe  divinities  is  young  and  handsome,  too,  attract- 
ing thousands  who  flock  thither,  first  to  look  at  her  ;  secondly,  to 
talk  with  her ;  and  thirdly,  to  enjoy  the  delight  of  sipping  Mocha 
in  her  presence. 

You  select  a  large  or  small  table,  accordmg  as  you  are  alone  or 
with  company.  It  is  of  white  marble,  and  your  seat  of  rich  plush. 
In  a  moment  the  garjon  is  at  your  elbow ;  he  inclines  to  your  ear, 
and  catches  the  word  demi-tasse.  He  instantly  reappears,  and  places 


CAFES  OF  PARIS.  247 


before  you  a  snowy-white  cup  and  saucer,  and  a  little  dish  contain- 
ing three  or  four  lumps  of  sugar.  Another  garfon  now  appears.  In 
his  right-hand  is  a  huge  silver  pot,  covered,  and  in  his  left,  another 
of  the  same  material,  imcovered.  The  former  contains  coffee,  the 
latter,  cream.  The  balmy  liquid  is  clear,  strong,  and  highly  con- 
centrated, and  when  tempered  with  the  sugar  and  heated  cream,  it 
becomes  the  finest  beverage  in  the  whole  world.  It  agreeably  af- 
fects several  of  the  senses.  Its  liquid  charms  the  gustatory  nerves ; 
its  savor  rejoices  the  olfactory ;  while  even  the  eye  is  delighted 
with  its  sparkling  hues.  Yielding  a  moment  to  the  pleasures  of 
anticipation,  you  have  time  to  survey  the  tout-ensemble  of  the  gar- 
9on.  In  his  sphere  he  seems  to  you  a  beau  ideal.  His  face  has 
a  balmy  expression  that  enchants  you.  His  hair  is  polished  into 
ebon.  His  cravat  is  of  purest  white,  and  his  shirt-bosom  is  equally 
elegant.  His  round-about  is  the  pattern  of  neatness.  Upon  his 
left  arm  hangs  a  clean  napkin,  and  his  lower  extremities  are  quite 
wrapped  about  in  a  snowy  apron.  His  stockings  are  white,  and 
he  glides  about  in  noiseless  pumps.  He  is  a  physiognomist  of  the 
keenest  perceptions,  for  at  your  slightest  intimation  he  is  at  your 
elbow. 

To  prolong  the  delight  of  your  cup,  you  employ  the  intervals 
between  the  sips,  in  perusing  the  journals.  All  the  most  notable 
are  there  ;  and  by  mentioning  the  name  of  your  preference,  it  is 
speedily  brought  you. 

Having  finished  your  coffee  and  journals,  you  spend  a  moment 
or  two  in  sui-veying  the  company  present.  There  may  be  fifty  in 
the  room,  dressed  with  elegance  and  in  the  highest  taste.  They 
converse  in  a  subdued  tone,  and  you  may  hear  all  the  languages 
in  Europe. 

Tapping  your  cup  with  a  piece  of  coin,  the  garron  approaches, 
and  taking  the  money,  advances  with  it  towards  the  dame-du- 


248  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


comptoir,  saying  at  the  same  time,  "  Jmit-cent."  The  dame-du- 
comptoir  abstracts  eight  sous.  Tlie  garjon  returning  your  change, 
invariably  looks  forward  to  a  small  pour-hoire  for  himself.  If  you 
leave  one  sou,  he  merely  inclines  his  head  ;  if  you  leave  two,  he 
adds  to  the  inclination  a  mercie  ;  finally,  if  you  generously  abandon 
three,  he  not  only  bows  profoundly,  whispering  mercie,  but  respect- 
fully opens  the  door  to  your  departing.  On  going  out,  you  will 
always  look  at  the  lady,  and  raise  your  hat.  The  quiet  self- 
possession  with  which  she  responds  to  your  civility  informs  you 
that  she  has  bowed  to  half  the  coffee-drinkers  in  Europe. 

On  returning  to  my  lodgings,  I  passed  the  door  of  one  of  the 
more  common  dancing-saloons  of  the  city.  Parties  were  thronging 
in,  some  in  masquerade,  others  not ;  and  I  could  not  resist  the 
temptation  to  look  in  upon  the  sight  for  a  moment.  It  was  the 
height  of  the  carnival  season  of  Paris ;  and,  as  a  consequence,  the 
dancing-rage  of  this  dancing  people.  They  had  evidently  be- 
come worked  up  to  the  spirit  of  their  favorite  exercise ;  and  a 
traveller  will  select  the  most  favorable  period  for  his  observations. 
The  admittance  was  ten  cents.  The  company  were  entirely  young, 
and  of  the  inferior  sort  of  society.  The  spacious  room  was  par- 
tially divided  into  several  compartments,  but  wide  central  spaces 
were  left  for  free  communication.  The  dancing,  which  was  already 
going  on,  was  energetically  brisk.  All  spaces  were  quite  filled, 
partly  with  sets  in  motion,  or  lookers-on,  standing.  The  orches- 
tra, in  which  violins  greatly  preponderated,  were  working  their  in- 
struments as  if  hfe  depended  on  impetuous  movement.  They 
changed  their  tune  often,  running  through  perhaps  twenty  favorite 
airs  in  a  single  dance.  The  dancing  was  even  more  unique  than 
the  music.  There  were  no  systematic  figures,  —  but  a  promiscu- 
ous assembling  and  changing,  each  moving  as  fancy  led.  The 
twirling,  spinnmg,  leaping,  twisting,  gliding  across  and  around  each 


THEATRE  FEANCAIS.  24." 


Other  in  babel-confusion,  but  without  coming  in  contact,  was  fan 
tastic  enough,  but  not  altogether  unamusing.  Each  young  man 
held  his  female  partner  firmly  in  a  waltz-Uke  embrace,  leading  her 
rapturously  mto  the  spirit  of  the  exercise,  moving  whither  whim 
listed,  and  changing  his  step  or  movement  at  the  caprice  of  impulse 
Indeed,  it  seemed  often  to  be  the  part  of  the  beau  to  sui-prise  tht 
other  in  some  sudden  turn  of  the  body,  exposing  the  lady  unex- 
pectedly to  some  immodest  attitude.  I  more  than  once  detected  a 
crimsoning  on  the  already  flushed  cheek  of  some  of  the  fair  ones 
from  this  cause.  Tliere  were,  however,  two  or  three  buxom 
wenches  among  the  crowd,  who  vanquished  their  partners  in  all 
their  arts,  —  sometimes  turning  the  joke.  The  whole  scene  struck 
me  as  inelegant,  distasteful  and  debasing ;  though,  of  course,  it  can- 
not be  mentioned  as  a  specimen  of  how  the  divine  art  is  generally 
practised  in  the  graceful  city. 

Feb.  loth.  I  spent  the  day  in  the  "  Conservatoire  des  Arts  et 
Metiers,"  Rue  St.  Martin  208.  It  corresponds,  in  a  measure,  to 
the  Patent  Office  at  Washington,  presenting  an  interesting  collec- 
tion of  specimens  of  machines,  instruments  and  tools  employed  in 
the  various  kinds  of  manufactures  and  fabrications.  It  was  de- 
voted in  1798  to  the  industrial  arts,  and  has  since  contributed 
most  singularly  to  their  advancement.  I  observed  there,  among 
many  other  curious  and  interesting  things,  a  simple,  but  beautiful 
mode  of  representing  geometrical  solids,  by  means  of  thread- 
wires.  By  the  slight  movement  of  a  spring,  the  form  was 
easily  changed.  It  struck  me  as  an  improvement,  and  deserv- 
ing of  being  introduced  as  a  valuable  apparatus  of  the  school- 
room. 

In  the  evening,  I  set  off  to  witness  the  di-ama  on  the  great  na- 
tional stage  of  France,  the  Theatre  Fran5ais.  Arriving  early,  I 
whilcd  away  the  spare  moments  in  making  a  tour  in  the  square  of 


250  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


the  Palais  Royal.  The  delightful  place  was  filled  with  groups, 
promenading,  lounging,  or  reading  the  journals,  hired  of  the  little 
boutiques,  so  accommodatingly  scattered  near  all  the  public  prom- 
enades of  the  city.  Children  of  the  lower  class  were  venting 
their  joyous  nature  in  juvenile  sports.  Miniature  men,  they 
showed  the  same  spii'it  of  rivalry  and  passion  as  persons  of 
greater  stature. 

Determined  on  a  choice  seat,  I  was  still  early  in  the  qu£ue, 
within  the  barricade  leading  to  the  entrance  of  the  theatre.  In  the 
tail  were  some  women,  well  dressed,  but  the  most  respectful  de- 
meanor prevailed.  When  the  door  opened  we  passed  in  comforta- 
bly, and  I  took  a  richly  plushed  seat  in  the  parquet,  separated 
only  by  the  distance  of  a  foot,  or  so,  from  the  narrow  space  in 
front  appropriated  to  the  nobility. 

The  first  play  was  entitled  "  The  Mother-in-law  and  the-Son-in- 
law."  It  was  a  pretty  piece,  and  neatly  played ;  but  observing 
nothing  striking  in  its  character  or  performance,  I  very  happily 
reserved  my  admiration  for  the  following  play,  and  with  one  eye 
surveyed  leisurely  the  beautiful  room  and  select  company. 

The  room,  of  elliptical  form,  is  surrounded  by  three  rows  of 
Doric  columns,  grouped  in  the  first  row,  isolated  in  the  two  others. 
From  the  centre  rises  the  statue  of  Voltaire.  Beautiful  and  ap- 
propriate carvings,  gildings,  and  frescos,  lend  a  classical  elegance 
and  charm  to  the  entire  room.  The  company  appeared  intellectual 
and  of  easy  manners,  but  not  extremely  dressed.  Indeed,  their 
manner  and  costume  bore  an  elegant  negligence,  characteristic  of 
the  more  independent  classes.  But  they  practised  one  custom  not 
easily  reconciled  with  their  otherwise  evident  propriety  of  de- 
meanor—  that  of  staring  at  each  other  in  the  intervals  of  the 
scenes.  For  this  purpose,  each  was  provided,  not  with  a  small, 
neat,  golden-rimmed  eye,  or  quizzing  glass,  such  as  may  sometimes 


THEATRE  FEANCAIS.  251 


be  seen  in  the  delicate  hand  of  some  acknowledged  belle,  at  public 
assemblies  in  the  U.  States,  but  huge,  double-barreled  spy-glasses, 
from  two  to  four  inches  deep,  strongly  connected,  called  lunettes. 
"With  this,  the  double-eyed  starer  would  often  stand  upon  his  feet, 
direct  his  artificial  eyes  at  different  persons  in  the  galleries,  sur- 
veying the  company  with  all  the  coolness  and  deliberation  of  a 
naval  quarter-master.  It  was  a  little  peculiar  to  notice  luxuriant- 
looking  mammas  with  their  blooming  daughters  in  the  galleries, 
thus  broadly  gazing  at  the  opposite  sex  below  and  around  them. 
A  stranger  to  the  practice  might  have  been  led  to  ask  himself,  if 
the  same  action  without  the  lunette  would  have  been  considered  by 
these  genteel  people  within  the  pale  of  good  breeding  ?  —  O ! 
no,  indeed  !  —  but  then,  it  is  the  fashion,  and  there  is  no  disputmg 
the  empire  of  so  supreme  a  ruler. 

The  orchestra  was  small,  but  apparently  extremely  select.  The 
performers  were  all  very  young, —  mere  boys,  seemingly,  —  and 
violins  prevailed.  The  music  was  consequently  soft.  They 
seemed  chary  of  their  efforts,  favoring  the  company  with  but  few 
pieces  during  the  evening,  but  when  they  did  play,  ample  amends 
were  made  for  their  silence.  I  have  no  words  that, — however 
dexterously  placed  upon  this  unsounding  sheet,  —  can  more  than 
faintly  symbohze  its  exquisite  character  —  its  ecstatic  effect  upon 
the  heart !  As  they  struck  up,  my  every  nerve  was  thrilled.  The 
silken,  leaping  strains  came  stealing  into  every  pore  of  my  soul. 
So  graceful,  so  touching,  so  tremblingly  inspiring  were  the  ca- 
dences, that  the  music  often  seemed  but  the  silver  echoes  of  some 
far  off  melody.     I  had  never  heard  anything  so  fine. 

The  second  piece  was  entitled  "  The  Puff,  or  Mensonge,"  an 
inimitable  satire  upon  the  amiable  and  conventional  deception  per- 
vading all  classes  in  Paris.  It  was  one  of  P^ugene  Scribe's  hap- 
piest efforts,  and  the  public  had  acknowledged  the  successful  hit 


252  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


by  giving  it  a  run.  I  had  previously  purchased  the  play,  and 
conned  it  by  heart,  with  the  view  the  better  to  mark  nice  points  of 
pronunciation.  I  thought  I  was  famihar  with  its  beauties ;  but  I 
soon  found,  that  reading  a  good  French  play,  and  hearing  it  ad- 
mirably performed,  are  quite  different  things.  Soon  after  the 
performance  began,  my  pencil  dropped  to  the  tloor,  and  the  printed 
pamphlet  soon  followed ;  the  absorbing  interest  of  the  perform- 
ance holding  me  quite  entranced  throughout.  I  do  not  know  how 
successful  the  French  are  in  tragedy,  but  I  am  sure  that  in  the 
higher  comedy  they  are  inimitable,  and  beyond  praise.  The  fe- 
licities of  thought  are  so  intermingled  with  felicities  of  language, 
as  not  to  be  peaceably  divorced.  There  is,  moreover,  in  the 
style  of  the  performance  a  piquancy,  a  raciness  that  is  quite  enchant- 
ing. In  this  play,  each  of  the  artistes  seemed  a  star,  and  went 
through  his  part  with  a  propriety,  ease  and  self-possession,  truly 
wonderfuL  I  have  seen  nothing,  at  all  to  be  compared  to  it,  in  a 
similar  performance  in  any  other  nation.  The  whole  scene  was  to 
me  a  beau  ideal  of  genteel  discourse  and  elegant  manners,  en- 
livened with  the  most  pleasingly  pointed  wit. 

The  costume  of  the  players  was  the  perfection  of  simple  ele- 
gance. There  was  not  throughout  the  entire  performance  a  single 
posture  or  gesture,  that  would  not  have  graced  the  most  fash- 
ionable and  elegant  saloon ;  and,  with  a  single  exception,  not  a 
word  or  phrase  that  would  have  offended  the  most  fastidiously 
modest  ear.  The  whole  scene  was  thoroughly  divested  of  the 
rant,  the  strut,  the  affectation  of  manner  and  language,  the  leers 
of  double-meaning,  the  coarse  wit  and  artificial  tone  which  charac- 
terize our  American  boards,  and  render,  with  us,  the  theatre  intol- 
erable even  to  the  passionate  lover  of  the  drama.  I  left  strongly 
impressed  with  the  beautiful  picture  of  French  character  embodied 
in  French  forms,  French  voices,  and  French  gestures ;  but  I  re- 


LECTURES  AT  THE  SAEBONNE.  253 

membered  that  this  was  the  Royal  Theatre,  and  that  the  purity 
and  excellence  of  its  performance  might  be  traced  to  the  refined 
and  elevated  taste  of  the  family  of  Louis  PhiUippe. 

Feb.  11th.  I  spent  most  of  the  time  of  the  preceding  two  days 
in  attendance  upon  the  lectures  at  the  Sarbonne.  These  lectures  are 
in  the  same  style  of  perfection  in  which  everything  is  done  in  Paris. 

The  lecturers,  who  are  professors,  are  chosen  from  among  the 
most  eminent  men  in  their  several  walks  of  learning.  They  are 
furnished  every  facility  for  perfecting  their  knowledge,  and  allowed 
every  means  for  illustrating  their  subjects.  The  courses  cannot, 
therefore,  but  prove  highly  instructive,  powerfully  interesting,  and 
deeply  valuable.  They  are,  also,  entirely  free.  Hence,  the  rooms 
are  thronged  with  eager  students  from  all  parts  of  the  world. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  of  these  lectures  was  upon  the  life 
and  character  of  Christopher  Columbus.  I  had  read  any  number 
of  accounts  of  the  world-renowned  Genoese  before,  but  it  is  need- 
less to  add,  that  I  received  a  clearer  perception  of  his  life,  and  a 
higher  appreciation  of  his  character  from  the  hands  of  the  French 
historian.  The  noble  discoverer  received,  without  doubt,  a  well- 
merited  tribute  to  his  transcendent  genius,  unparalleled  daring, 
unconquerable  perseverance,  humane  spirit,  and  generous  and 
lovely  qualities  of  heart ;  but  it  was  the  way  in  which  the  subject 
was  treated  which  gave  the  discourse  its  peculiar  power  and 
beauty.  The  plan  was  so  perfect  and  so  scrupulously  adhered  to, 
the  principles  of  action  were  so  philosophically  developed,  the  va- 
rious adventures  and  incidents  were  so  artistically  grouped,  the 
propitious  circumstances  so  consummately  arranged,  and  the  whole 
enlivened  with  such  matchless  felicities  of  thought  and  expression, 
as  to  form  a  bright,  living  picture,  —  distinct,  vivid,  glowing  ;  de- 
ligliting  the  taste  and  iancy,  and  filling  the  heart  with  good  and 
noble  aspirations. 

22 


254  CKESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

Another,  more  striking  still,  was  by  M.  Frank.  His  course 
was  upon  the  modern  social  systems,  and  the  one  I  heard,  upon 
that  of  the  celebrated  Fourier.  When  I  entered,  the  room  was 
crowded.  Lively  expectation  was  depicted  on  every  countenance. 
In  a  moment,  the  lecturer  darted  in,  and  instantly  was  in  his  seat, 
speaking.  A  burst  of  fervent  but  subdued  applause  greeted  his 
entrance.  He  was  comparatively  a  young  man,  —  his  talents  and 
industry  having  evidently  outstripped  his  age,  and  brought  him  in 
favor  with  the  government.  His  attenuated  limbs  revealing  a  form 
bringing  to  mind  shapen  bundles  of  nerves,  —  the  long,  skinny 
fingers  of  the  hand,  the  sharp,  nervous  features  of  the  face,  an 
eye  beaming  with  the  very  soul  of  genius,  and  the  whole  person 
gently  agitated  with  a  nervous  tremor,  as  if  invested  with  a  halo 
of  thought,  gave  to  his  appearance  a  vivid  impressiveness  that  en- 
chained the  attention,  and  heightened  the  etfect  of  his  eloquence. 
As  the  first  word  dropped  from  his  lips,  there  was  a  hush  of  still- 
ness that  no  eager  interest  and  expectation  could  have  surpassed : 
and,  to  the  end,  all  was  keen  and  breathless  attention,  save  when 
a  gleam  of  attic  wit  arrowed  forth  from  the  address ;  and  then,  the 
momentary  excitation  it  produced  was  so  brief,  so  suddenly  re- 
pressed, as  to  show  that  each  felt  fearful  of  allowing  a  single  word 
to  escape,  which  would  be  like  the  loss  of  an  irreplaceable  pearl 
in  a  priceless  coronet.  His  enunciation  was  most  distinct,  though 
his  cadences  were  uniform  and  almost  unvaried.  He  never  hesi- 
tated for  a  moment,  nor  repeated  himself,  but  marched  right  on 
with  a  steady,  equable  movement,  resembling  that  of  a  train  of 
cars  at  a  distance,  passmg  over  a  gently  undulating  surface. 

But  the  peculiar  fascination  and  power  of  his  style  lay  in  the 
wonderful  concentration  and  concatenation  of  thought,  and  the 
matchless  vivacity  with  which  the  ideas  glowed  and  sparkled  in 
the  mind's  eye  of  the  listener.    In  this  respect,  his  discourse  was  a 


FREE  LECTURES.  255 


strongly  hammered  chain,  of  which,  each  link  was  intensely  welded, 
and  the  whole  polished  into  the  brightness  of  silver.  It  seized  at 
once  your  mmd,  rivetted  it  by  the  force  of  association,  and  bore 
it  through  the  argument  with  the  involuntary  power  of  natural 
law,  and  with  the  delectable  grace  of  matchless  harmony.  Every 
word  was  so  fitly  chosen  that  its  sound,  even,  echoed  forth  its  sense 
and  lent  additional  force  to  the  beauty  of  the  thought,  —  forming 
a  mental  picture  vivid  and  dehghtful.  There  was  something, 
moreover,  in  the  very  dignity  and  grace  of  the  movement,  —  the 
power  and  fehcitation  of  the  mien,  —  a  kind  of  radiant  lustre, 
drawing  m,  and  charming  your  faculties,  keeping  the  soul  in  an 
unceasing  titillation  of  delight. 

The  system  of  Fourier  was  dissected  with  a  consummation  that 
made  you  tremble.  You  felt  that  it  were  terrible  to  fall  under  the 
knife  of  such  an  anatomist.  The  flesh  was  parted,  the  bones  dis- 
jointed, the  marrow  penetrated,  —  even  the  invisible  soul  scanned 
with  an  eye  of  fire,  and  a  hand  of  deathless  energy.  Altliough  the 
entire  discourse  was  characterized  by  the  very  spirit  of  truthful- 
ness and  impartiality,  yet  there  was  such  an  inimitable  skill  dis- 
played in  tracing  the  juxtapositions  and  inductions  of  the  author, 
and  in  detecting  the  invisible  discrepancies  of  his  subtle  philoso- 
phy, that  tlie  great  socialist  was  often  seen  in  a  light  that  irresisti- 
bly moved  you  to  pity  or  laughter. 

The  hour's  entertainment  was  more  than  an  intellectual  feast, 
—  it  was  a  spiritualized  banquet ;  and  on  leaving,  I  began  to  un- 
derstand the  meaning  of  the  glowingly  expectant  look  of  the 
audience  when  I  entered. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

GEN.  SCOTT  UNDEIl  ARREST — PUBLIC  OPINION  OMNIPOTENT  m 
THE  UNITED  STATES  —  AN  AMBIGUOUS  CHARACTER  —  PARISIAN 
MORALS  —  LOVELESS  MARRIAGES  —  LEFT-HAND  MARRIAGES  — 
LEGALIZED  VICE  —  OPEN  PROSTITUTION  —  HOSPICE  D'AC- 
COUCHEMENT  —  HOSPICES  DES  ENFAN3  TROUVERS  —  CAUSES, 
ETC. —  MANUFACTORY   FOR     THE     CROAVN     TAPESTRY  —  PALAIS 

ROYALE  —  SUMPTUOUS       INTERIOR  —    SPLENDID       GARDEN  

CHAPEL    OF    ST.    FERDINAND. 

The  French  Journals  mentioned,  to-day,  the  trial  of  Gen- 
eral Scott  in  Mexico, —  the  scientific,  the  gallant  commander-in- 
chief  of  our  armies,  whose  consummate  military  skill,  crowned 
with  splendid  victories,  had  extorted  warm  eulogies  from  many 
eminent  military  men  of  Europe,  under  arrest,  and  being  tried  by 
a  court  composed  of  his  inferior  officers !  The  bare  idea  was 
enough  to  arouse  the  indignation  of  an  American  abroad ! 

What  strange  vagary  of  Fame  and  Fortune  was  this !  The 
Americans  were  severely  condemned,  of  course,  by  the  Eng- 
lish and  European  press,  for  the  Mexican  war ;  and  what  was 
really  unjust,  a  sentiment  of  unscrupulous  aggression  attributed 
to  the  whole  nation,  —  which,  if  it  existed  at  all,  was  shared  only 
by  a  part,  and  perhaps  a  minority,  of  the  nation.  But  when  our 
armies,  under  their  skilful  leaders,  began  to  shed  glory  even  upon 
the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  and  writers  abroad  were  lavish  of  their 
praise  of  Yankee  capability,  one  began  to  have  a  self-gratulatory 


GENERAL  SCOTT.  257 


feeling,  that  tardy  justice  was  being  done  to  the  genius  of  our  re- 
public. But  here  was  being  enacted  a  drama  so  farcical  in  idea,  as 
to  make  one  doubt  if  the  whole  account  given  of  those  proudly- 
martial  deeds  enacted  in  gorgeous  Mexico,  were  not  some  splendid 
illusion  created  by  that  enchantment  to  which  distance  is  said  to  give 
rise.  It  was  not  enough  that  the  glorious  old  Taylor,  after  un- 
furling and  carrying  steadily  forward  against  odds,  the  banner  of 
his  countrymen,  and  in  an  urgent  crisis,  shorn  of  the  flower  of  his 
force,  should  be  left  unintentionally  to  deepen  the  dye  of  his  immor- 
tality in  a  battle  which  brings  to  mind  that  of  Thermopylae  of  old  ; 
but  here  was  Scott  himself,  who  had  marched  through  the  renowned 
strongholds  of  Mexico,  with  a  Napoleon-like  rapidity  of  execution, 
and  planted  his  standard  in  the  very  square  surrounded  by  the 
halls  of  the  Montezumas,  all  at  once  shorn  of  his  lofty  plumes, 
snatched  defyingly  away  from  the  magnificent  halo  by  which  he 
was  a  moment  before  surrounded,  and  treated  like  any  humble 
mortal.  Well,  it  may  have  the  effect  to  show  to  Europeans,  what 
it  seems  quite  difficult  for  them  to  understand,  namely,  that  in  the 
United  States  public  opinion  is  omnipotent, — and  that  talents 
never  so  great,  genius  never  so  resplendent,  or  services  never  so 
glorious,  cannot  screen  a  man  from  the  closest  scrutiny  of  the  pub- 
lic eye,  or  prevent  his  being  called  to  the  bar  of  popular  judgment. 

In  going  to  my  lodgings  to-night,  I  was  equivocally  accosted  in 
a  delicately  coaxing  tone  and  manner,  by  a  young  woman,  who 
appeared  as  if  just  issuing  from  an  obscure  court.  Without  be- 
Btowing  upon  her  further  attention  than  a  furtive  glance,  just  to 
scan  truthfully  her  features  and  person,  she  did  not,  however,  re- 
peat her  intimations.  She  was  neatly  but  rather  gaily  attii-ed. 
Her  countenance,  which  was  mild,  and  not  altogether  unpleasing, 
was  marked  with  no  obvious  trace  of  a  feeling  of  shame  or  guilt. 

This  comparatively  unimportant  incident  would  hardly  be  worth 
22* 


258  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


recording,  but  as  being  suggestive  of  a  topic,  which,  if  obnoxious  to 
an  un-semle  modesty,  has  yet  so  fundamental  a  bearing  upon  the 
socially  moral  condition  of  a  nation,  as  to  claim  the  attention  of 
the  traveller  who  would  impart  valuable  information  touching  the 
people  about  whom  he  undertakes  to  write. 

If  we  were  to  credit  the  statements  of  some  English  tourists  of 
name,  we  should  be  left  to  form  a  sad  picture  of  the  social  morals 
of  Paris.  But  it  should  be  borne  in  mind,  that  travellers  who 
are  capable  of  giving  to  the  public  distorted  views  of  society  in 
the  United  States,  would  hardly  be  less  reckless  or  prejudiced  in 
their  portraitures  of  a  people  against  whom  deep  enmity  has  be- 
come firmly  rooted  by  ages  of  war,  rivalry,  and  the  more  irrecon- 
cilable influence  still,  of  diverse  natures. 

Yet,  however  overshaded  these  pictures  may  have  been, 
through  the  prejudice  and  enmity  of  a  certain  class  of  travellers, 
still  the  truth  would  make  them  dark  enough  to  be  greatly  de- 
plored. 

It  must  be  admitted,  in  the  first  place,  that  the  holy  institution 
of  marriage  is  neither  regarded  nor  observed  in  France  with  that 
feeling  of  pure,  single  devotion,  which  its  sacredly  important  na- 
ture claims.  Not  that  there  are  no  exceptions  to  this  remark. 
Indeed,  I  was  informed  by  reliable  gentlemen,  foreigners,  who  had 
resided  a  long  time  in  Paris  and  in  the  country,  that  in  their  de- 
liberate opinion,  in  no  other  country  could  be  found  so  beautiful 
instances  of  conjugal  fidelity,  or  strong  domestic  affections ;  and 
that  in  this  respect,  the  best  French  society  is  a  delightful  picture 
of  what  is  most  charming  in  domestic  life.  Still,  it  is  most  noto- 
rious that  the  violation  of  marriage  and  chastity  are  tolerated  with 
a  facility  in  France  not  done  in  England  nor  in  the  United  States. 
It  might  be  no  easy  task  to  trace  all  the  causes  that  have  contrib- 
uted to  form  this  ungracious  feature  in  the  national  character ;  but 


MARRIAGES  OF  C0N\T;NIENCE.  259 


among  them  may  be  enumerated  the  ardor  of  temperament  and 
the  facihty  of  the  French  character,  modified  by  climate,  scenery, 
and  a  class  of  associations  adapted  to  fire  the  imagination  ;  the 
sensitive  nature  of  the  French  taste,  which  repels  the  object  of  its 
adoration  with  the  same  vehemence  that  once  attracted  it ;  the  ir- 
resistible influence  of  licentious  courts  and  dissolute  nobilities ; 
the  corrupting  agency  of  a  vitiated  literature,  by  which  genius, 
wedded  to  a  classical  power  by  the  most  fascinating  approaches, 
has  poisoned  the  well-springs  of  innocent  thought ;  the  removal, 
for  a  time,  from  the  conscience,  the  sacred  weight  of  Divine  obli- 
gation, by  the  abrogation  of  a  national  religion.  But  a  more  pal- 
pable cause  may  doubtless  be  found  in  those  ever-to-be-accursed 
unions  called  mariage  de  convenance,  or  as  appropriately,  loveless 
marriages,  so  common  among  the  middling  and  higher  classes  of 
society.  These  are  usually  contracted  by  the  parents,  or  even  by 
the  parties  themselves,  in  view  of  the  eligibility  of  the  match,  and 
with  little  or  no  regard  to  the  aifections  of  the  parties,  or  even 
consulting  their  tastes  and  dispositions.  "Where  there  is  but  one 
true  marriage,  and  that  the  union  of  sentiment,  the  reciprocal  bap- 
tism of  the  affections,  the  magic  welding  of  heart  and  heart,  all 
such  sordid  arrangements  as  mariages  de  convenance,  whether  in 
France  or  elsewhere,  could  not  be  expected  to  yield  else  than  bit- 
ter fruits.  Indeed,  fidelity  could  not  be  expected,  if  it  should  be 
desired,  amid  the  damps  of  such  prison  mildew.  It  were  almost 
cruel  thus  to  bind  the  tender,  the  susceptible  heart,  yearning  for  a 
spiritual  congeniality  in  which  to  lave  its  sickened  hfe.  Hence, 
marriage  in  France  is  but  too  often  an  endorsed  apology  for  free- 
dom according  to  fancy.  Indeed,  a  married  lady  is  almost  ex- 
pected to  have  her  private  lover  ;  and  this  barely  clandestine  corn- 
merge  has  become  so  completely  established  in  the  mind  of  society 
as  to  have  begot  certain  rules  of  observance  —  a  kind  of  principle 


260  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


of  honor  —  which  would  seem  not  unUke  that  noble  quahty  said 
to  exist  among  thieves. 

Somewhat  akin  to  this  mode  of  wedded  life,  and  infinitely  more 
reasonable,  as  well  as  fruitful  of  conjugal  felicity,  are  those  tem- 
porary liasons  or  manages  de  St.  Jacques,  better  known  to  the 
English  reader  as  left-handed  marriages.  In  a  country  where 
fortunes  are  for  the  most  part  small,  and  where  the  precariousness 
of  remunerative  employment  does  not  permit  the  masses  of  the  poor 
easily  to  encounter  the  obligations  of  family,  marriages  must  have 
their  limits.  A  vast  variety  of  single  ladies,  therefore,  without 
fortunes,  still  remain,  many  of  whom  are  naturally  led  to  be  guilty 
of  the  indiscretion  of  a  lover,  though  they  have  no  husband  to 
deceive.  They  are  wont  to  take  upon  themselves  an  affection, 
to  which  they  remain  faithful  so  long  as  the  intimacy  lasts.  Many 
respectable  young  men,  merchants,  lawyers,  etc.,  of  moderate  in- 
comes, live  until  they  are  i-ich  enough  to  marry,  in  some  connection 
of  this  description.  Sanctioned  by  custom,  these  unions  of  expe- 
diency are  to  be  found  with  a  certain  respectability  belonging  to 
them,  m  all  walks  of  life.  The  working  classes,  in  particular, 
have  their  somewhat  famous  mariages  de  St.  Jacques,  which,  among 
themselves,  at  least,  are  highly  respectable.  The  laborer  and 
washerwoman,  for  instance,  find  it  cheaper  and  more  comfortable 
to  take  a  room  together.  They  rent  a  chamber,  put  in  their  joint 
furniture  (one  bed  answers  for  both),  a  common  menage  and  purse 
are  established,  and  the  couple's  affection  endures  at  least  as  long 
as  their  lease. 

Another  institution  still  lower  in  the  scale  of  moral  delinquen- 
cies, is  the  system  of  legalized  public  prostitution  existing  in  Paris. 
This  is  not  peculiar  to  Paris,  but  exists  in  common  in  the  cities 
of  Europe ;  and  the  Parisian  will  urge  that  it  was  not  intended 
to  sanction  vice,  but  only  to  regulate  what  must  necessarily  exist ; 


HOSPICES  DES  ACCOUCHEMENTS.  261 

still  it  can  justly  be  objected,  that  the  very  fact  of  its  being  brought 
under  the  wing  of  the  police,  and  regulated  as  are  respectable  in- 
stitutions, gives  the  sanction  of  the  government  to  the  vice.  The 
authority  of  law  steps  in  to  break  down  that  acute'  and  profound 
sense  of  morality  which  with  us  banishes  from  society,  without  the 
possibiUty  of  restoration,  the  female  who  has  committed  decidedly 
one  false  step.  The  public  sense  of  morality  is  necessarily  brought 
down  by  pubhcly  trafficking  with  vice.  Whatever  conveniences 
the  system  may  have,  its  effect  upon  the  pubUc  mind  cannot  but 
be  evil. 

Tlien  there  is  the  abandoned  class  of  females  who  seek  a  clan- 
destine commerce.  Although  they  are  much  less  seen  by  the 
cursory  observer,  than  even  in  the  large  cities  of  England  and 
America,  still  their  number  doubtless  is  quite  large. 

As  a  finishing-stroke  to  the  above-named  customs,  and  without 
which  they  could  not  flourish  luxuriantly  and  with  grace,  come  in 
the  estabhshments  termed  Hospices  dcs  Accouchements  and  Hospices 
des  Enfans  trouves.  The  former,  or  lying-in  hospitals,  may  be  seen 
with  emblazoned  signs  in  various  parts  of  the  city.  They  furnish 
secret  arid  comfortable  resorts,  where  women  enciente  may  find,  for 
a  moderate  price,  the  best  of  care  and  treatment,  until  they  are  suf- 
ficiently restored  from  the  ills  and  danger  of  child-bed,  —  the  lat- 
ter, or  foundling-hospital,  where  infants  whose  parents  are  willing 
or  necessitated  to  abandon  them,  are  placed,  to  be  taken  care  of  at 
the  public  charge.  Here,  these  little  government-adoptives  arc 
nursed,  nurtured,  and  afterwards  distributed  about  the  country  to 
learn  useful  branches  of  industry.  Many  of  them  do  well.  This 
establishment,  as  well  as  many  others  of  the  hospitals  of  Paris,  is 
under  the  care  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  whose  self-sacrificing 
benevolence  is  justly  a  theme  of  praise.  The  founder  of  the  lat- 
ter establishment  was  St.  Vincent  de  Paul.     He  commenced  by 


262  CRESTS  FEOM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


seeking  out  the  abandoned  children  of  the  city.  These  institutions 
divide  the  opinion  of  travellers.  A  stern  moralist,  regarding  their 
little  inmates  as  the  fruits  of  illicit  love,  would  be  apt  to  look  upon 
the  system  with  horror.  A  practical  man,  viewing  society  as  it  is, 
might  come  to  a  diflferent  conclusion.  He  would,  at  least,  see  in 
the  institution,  the  means  of  saving  a  vast  amount  of  life,  and  of 
ameliorating  much  human  suffering.  That  they  prevent  a  great 
amount  of  infanticide,  cannot  be  questioned  ;  but  that  they  facili- 
tate the  crime  they  are  designed  to  amehorate,  admits  neither  of 
doubt. 

Li  estimating  the  state  of  morality  in  the  nation,  Paris  must 
not  be  taken  as  a  faithful  index  of  the  entire  country ;  for,  however 
true  the  remark,  that  Paris  is  France  in  poUtics,  the  capital  can 
by  no  means  be  given  as  a  measure  of  the  nation's  morals.  There 
are  several  causes  that  have  powerfully  operated  to  render  Paris 
peculiar  in  its  moral  and  social  tone.  The  religious  sentiment 
which  was  extinguished  from  view  in  Paris,  has  ever  preserved 
at  least  a  glimmering  in  the  Provinces.  Paris,  like  ancient  Rome, 
is  the  receptacle  of  much  of  the  inflammable  elements  of  Euro- 
pean society.  The  rich  of  the  nations  of  the  world  throng  there 
for  pleasure,  and  seek  much  of  that  pleasure  in  vice.  The  cen- 
tralization of  the  government  of  France,  concentrates  its  principal 
functionaries  in  the  capital,  many  of  whom  become  in  time  mere 
pensioned  voluptuaries. 

The  principal  youth  of  the  country,  belonging  to  the  rich,  as 
well  as  many  from  abroad,  resort  to  Paris  for  their  education ; 
while  thousands  flock  thither  for  employment  in  shops,  warehouses, 
and  offices.  Some  seventy  or  eighty  thousand  troops  are  always 
present  in  the  city  and  vicinity.  The  desperate  in  fortune,  or 
ruined  in  reputation,  eagerly  resort  to  the  capital,  the  former  like 
vampires  to  prey  upon  society,  and  the  latter  to  retreat  from  the 


MORALS  OF  PARIS.  263 


circle  in  which  they  had  been  known,  and  to  sink  lower  in  the 
depths  of  degradation. 

Yet,  notwithstanding  these  hot-bed  influences  of  moral  disease 
m  France,  and  more  especially  in  Paris,  illegitimacy  there  is,  ac- 
cording to  an  intelligent  traveller,  Professor  Laing,  more  rare  than 
even  in  Prussia. 

The  easy  footing  upon  which  society  stands  and  moves  in  Pai'is, 
arrests  with  agreeable  surprise  the  attention  of  the  traveller.  The 
stranger  there  enjoys  unusual  freedom  to  go  whither  he  pleases, 
and  do  as  he  will,  by  preserving  the  grace  of  politeness. 

The  modest  manners  of  the  French  women  are  proverbial. 
They  arc  a  fragrant  theme  of  general  praise.  The  delightful  vir- 
tue is  seen  both  in  their  bearing  and  dress.  AVhatever  immorality 
may  cxi^t  in  private,  scarcely  a  vestige  of  it  is  exposed  to  pubhc 
gaze.  External  decency,  at  least,  prevails  to  a  degree  not  else- 
where to  be  found.  A  stranger  would  never  see  in  the  streets  of 
Paris  an  instance  of  the  unblushing  shamelessness,  the  utter  deg- 
radation, that  shocks  the  stranger  in  the  streets  of  London,  at  al- 
most every  step,  after  nine  o'clock  at  night.  This  exquisite  deco- 
rum of  mien  which  pervades  all  classes,  from  the  voluptuous  queen 
of  the  ambiguous  saloon,  to  the  washerwoman  of  the  Seine,  gild- 
ing society  with  a  rosy  tint  of  lustre,  may  be  traced,  in  part  at 
least,  to  the  peculiar  sentiment  of  virtue  which  exists.  Not  being 
considered  a  crime  as  much  as  elsewhere,  incontinence  does  not 
bring  down  the  mind  to  the  level  of  crime.  It  is  looked  upon  more 
as  a  matter  of  taste  ;  and  the  fair  one  guilty  of  indiscretion,  not 
Ijcing  rejected  from  society,  does  not  lose  her  self-respect,  but 
evinces  in  all  her  intercourse,  the  usual  amenities  of  polite  and 
dignified  life. 

In  this  respect  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  French  are  cer- 
tainly more  consistent  than  arc  we.     We  tolerate  in  men  a  vice 


264  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

which  we  unmitigatingly  punish  in  woman,  by  banishing  her  en- 
tirely from  the  pale  of  decent  society.  The  Frencli,  more  just, 
extend  the  same  privilege  to  both  sexes. 

I  visited  on  February  19th,  the  celebrated  manufactory  for  the 
Crown  Tapestry.  It  is  the  most  magnificent  establishment  of  the 
kind  in  France,  if  not  in  Europe.  Carpets  are  made  here,  which, 
in  elegance,  in  correctness  of  design,  choice  and  variety,  rival  those 
produced  ev-en  in  Persia  in  her  palmiest  days.  Some  of  these 
costly  floor-coverings,  of  no  more  than  medium  size,  were  valued 
as  high  as  three  thousand  dollars.  It  is  evident  that  only  kings, 
princes,  and  millionaires  can  possess  so  expensive  luxuries  to  grace 
the  tread  of  the  feet. 

Numerous  artisans  were  closely  engaged  in  their  indefatigable 
labors.  The  warp  of  the  carpet  was  stretched  in  a  perpendicular 
frame,  and  the  filling  was  woven  in  with  the  fingers  and  a  bodkin. 
The  process  is  thus  necessarily  slow,  tedious,  and  even  painful. 
Hence  the  enormous  cost  of  the  fabrication.  The  gorgeousness 
of  the  fabric  was  beautifully  heightened  by  the  brilliant  lustre  of 
the  colors  imparting  to  it  an  almost  dazzling  splendor. 

But  the  most  interesting  and  wonderful  application  of  the  art 
consists  in  transferring  pictures,  painted  upon  canvas,  to  tapestry, 
and  preserving,  with  exact  faithfulness,  the  lineaments  and  shading 
of  the  original.  Indeed,  the  transfer  is  so  exact,  that  you  would 
distinguish  no  diiference  between  them,  except  that  the  copy  bears 
the  lifelike  freshness  of  an  improved  edition.  The  process  with  the 
artisan,  it  is  evident,  is  almost  entirely  mechanical ;  but  it  implies 
a  nice  discrimination  in  colors,  and  an  exquisite  skill  of  execu- 
tion, acquired  only  by  long  practice.  The  art  is  valuable  as  a 
means  of  wresting,  from  the  hands  of  time,  fading  gems  of  the  old 
masters.  I  noticed  several  portraits,  thus  transferred,  of  members 
of  the  late  royal  family ;  and  I  should  never  have  known,  without 


PALACE  ROYAL.  265 


a  close  inspection,  but  that  they  were  vivid  paintings  upon 
canvas. 

A  very  paternal  measure  passed  to-day  in  the  Chamber  of  Peers, 
after  a  discussion,  animated  to  a  degree  not  usual  in  that  body,  — 
regulating  the  labor  of  the  working  classes.  According  to  the 
provisions  of  the  bill,  children  cannot  be  permitted  to  labor  in 
manufacturing  establishments,  under  eight  years  of  age  ;  and  be- 
tween that  period  and  twelve,  they  must  not  be  employed  more 
than  eight  hours  in  a  day ;  and  adults  cannot  be  employed  more 
than  twelve  hours.  It  is  wise,  as  well  as  benevolent  in  the  gov- 
ernment thus  to  protect  short-sighted  indigence  from  the  reckless 
rapacity  of  mammon. 

Sunday,  20th.  After  services  at  the  Oratoire,  I  made  a  visit  to 
the  Palace  Royal.  Sunday  is  the  day,  par  excellence,  for  visiting 
the  palaces  and  other  public  monuments  of  Paris ;  and  I  found 
the  interior  thronged  with  visitors  of  every  class  of  society.  The 
largest  part  of  the  company,  however,  were  well-dressed  and  in- 
teUigent  looking  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  traveller  type ;  and 
I  heard  some  half  a  dozen  different  languages. 

It  is  called  the  Palace  Royal  because  Louis  XIV.  lived  here  in 
his  youth.  Its  construction  was  commenced  by  the  Cardinal 
Richelieu,  who  improved  and  adorned  it  by  degrees  as  his  fortune 
improved,  until  he  judged  it  not  unworthy  to  be  presented  to  the 
splendid  monarch,  Louis  XIV,  which  he  did  in  a  testament  at  his 
death.  The  king  bequeathed  it,  in  his  turn,  to  his  brother,  the 
Duke  of  Orleans,  from  whom  it  descended  to  the  late  Louis  Pliil- 
lippe,  and  was  occupied  by  the  latter  as  a  private  residence,  but 
furnished  in  a  style  of  royal  magnificence. 

A  beautiful  stairway  leads  to  the  first  stage,  which  is  divided 
into  three  apartments,  namely,  those  of  the  centre,  occupied  by 
the  late  king  and  queen  before  1830  ;  the  apartments  of  the  left, 
23 


266  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WOKLD. 

appropriated  to  Madame  Adelaide,  the  sister  of  the  king ;  those 
of  the  right,  destined  for  the  prince  royal.  The  left-wing  compri- 
ses a  vast  dining-room,  several  grand  saloons,  and  beautiful  cabi- 
nets. The  centre  includes  the  saloon  for  the  aids-de-camp,  that 
of  reception,  the  cabinet  of  the  king,  the  apartment  of  the  queen, 
and  the  hall  of  the  throne.  A  magnificent  gallery  leading  to  the 
apartment  of  the  late  Duke  of  Orleans,  occupies  a  part  of  the  left- 
Vfing.  The  library,  situated  on  the  same  side,  is  placed  partly  in 
the  niterstole  and  partly  in  the  first  stage. 

We  were  conducted  through  the  palace  by  neatly  liveried  hus- 
siers,  who  seemed  impressed  with  the  dignity  of  their  office.  The 
rooms  were  nearly  destitute  of  carpets  and  furniture  ;  but  enough 
furnishing  remained  to  show  the  former  sumptuousness.  The  hall 
of  the  throne,  in  particular,  was  very  rich.  The  floor,  of  hard- 
wood, was  so  smoothly  polished  as  to  make  it  necessary  to  walk 
with  care.     The  ceilings  were  richly  painted  and  gilded. 

The  walls  of  the  several  apartments  were  adorned  with  paint- 
ings ;  some  of  them  possessing  rare  merit.  Among  the  historical 
pieces,  were  Julius  Cesar  going  to  the  Senate,  The  Victory  of 
Marathon,  William  Tell  jumping  out  of  the  boat  with  Gesler,  and 
several  more  modern  scenes,  in  which  Maria  Theresa,  of  Austria, 
figures  conspicuously.  She  is  represented  in  attitudes  expressive 
of  strong  emotion  and  intense  energy.  There  are,  besides,  several 
portraits  of  distinguished  personages ;  among  them,  those  of  Na- 
poleon, Charles  V,  Madame  de  Stael,  J.  J.  Rousseau,  and  the  sev- 
eral members  of  the  family  of  Louis  Phillippe. 

But  what  attracts  more  attention  at  the  present  time  is  the  gar- 
den, with  the  exterior  gallery  of  the  palace.  The  beautiful  en- 
closure formerly  occupied  a  larger  area  than  at  present;  as  it 
comprehended,  besides  the  present  garden,  the  streets  of  Valois, 
de  Montspensier,  and  de  Beaujolais,  as  well  as  that  space  .now  oc- 


CHAPEL  OF  ST.  FERDINAND.  267 


cupied  by  the  sides  of  the  Palais,  which  have  been  more  recently- 
built.  It  was  adorned  with  an  alley  of  mulberry  trees,  which  alone 
cost  the  Cardinal  Richelieu  sixty  thousand  dollars ;  but  the  old  revo- 
lution destroyed  them.  The  place  was  once  infamous  for  its 
f^ambling-houses,  and  the  throngs  of  doubtful  characters  that 
swarmed  in  it  of  an  evening  ;  but  the  late  government  banished 
these,  and  the  galleries  are  now^  occupied  with  brilliant  cafes,  and 
small,  but  magnificent  bazaars.  These  are  the  fashionable  shops 
of  the  city ;  and  they  are  rich  and  beautiful  beyond  description. 
All  that  can  tempt  the  luxurious,  or  please  the  vain ;  whatever 
can  inspire  admiration  for  the  industry  of  man,  for  his  exquisite 
taste  ;  his  creating  genius ;  his  skill  in  producing  the  elegant,  the 
beautiful,  the  magnificent ;  in  fine,  whatever  can  delight  the  eye, 
captivate  the  senses,  or  add  charms  to  beauty,  are  here  displayed. 
One  of  these  small  shops  rents  for  three  or  four  thousand  francs 
a  year.  The  chairs,  alone,  placed  in  the  garden  for  the  con- 
venience of  loungers,  are  said  to  give  a  revenue  of  eighty  thou- 
sand francs.  To  see  this  enchanting  spot  in  all  its  briUiancy  you 
should  go  at  night,  w^hen  countless  lamps  pour  floods  of  light 
through  its  delicious  gardens  and  long  arcades ;  when  its  walks 
are  alive  with  gay  promenaders,  and  its  multitude  of  shops,  cafes, 
and  offices  are  in  the  full  tide  of  business.  It  is  then,  indeed,  a 
scene  resplendent  with  gaiety,  bustle  and  animation. 

After  finishing  the  tour  of  the  Palais  Royale,  I  made  a  visit  to 
the  Chapel  of  St.  Ferdinand.  This  beautiful  edifice  was  erected 
some  eight  years  ago,  to  mark  the  spot  and  event  of  the  death  of 
the  Duke  d'Orleans,  the  eldest  son  of  Louis  Phillippc,  and  heir 
apparent  to  the  throne  of  France.  In  returning  honu;  from  an 
afternoon  drive,  his  horses  became  restive  and  unmanageable,  and 
leaping  from  his  carriage  he  fell  and  fractured  his  skull,  —  sensi- 
bility was  destroyed,  and  after  two  or  three  hours,  death  ensued. 


268  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


The  event  was  the  more  affecting,  as  the  disposition  and  high  and 
noble  qualities  of  the  prince  made  him  not  only  greatly  beloved  of 
his  family,  but  rendered  him  a  favorite  with  the  entire  nation. 

The  estate  was  purchased  by  the  king,  and  on  the  very  spot 
where  he  died,  this  chapel  was  erected.  It  is  a  gem  of  architec- 
ture —  the  exterior  tasteful,  and  the  interior  simple.  A  narrow 
space,  beautifully  laid  out,  and  adorned  with  a  triple  row  of  Ar- 
borvitae  trees,  leads  to  the  entrance.  On  the  right-hand  side  of  the 
chapel,  at  entering,  on  a  pedestal,  is  a  full  length  statue  of  the 
dying  prince,  with  his  head  lying  at  the  feet  of  the  figure  of  an 
angel  stretching  out  her  hands  in  the  posture  of  devotion.  Two 
clocks  are  in  one  of  the  rooms,  —  one  of  which  marks  the  hour 
when  the  accident  happened  ;  the  other,  when  the  duke  expired. 
Over  the  altar  is  a  beautiful  statue  of  the  Virgin  and  Child.  De- 
scending a  few  steps,  you  come  to  a  room  which  marks  the  exact 
spot  where  the  prince  expired.  Here  is  a  large  and  striking 
painting  of  the  whole  group  brought  together  by  that  event.  The 
livid  features  and  unearthly  expression  of  the  dying  man,  are 
represented  with  fearful  truthfulness.  The  queen  is  kneeling, 
with  her  head  inclined  upon  his  side  ;  the  king,  too,  is  kneeling  at 
his  feet,  with  an  expression  of  mute,  but  profound  grief;  two  of 
the  brothers  and  two  of  the  sisters  are  standing  near ;  the  priest 
is  administering  unction  to  the  dying  man,  and  some  of  the  king's 
ministei-3  and  attendants  are  in  the  back-ground.  As  a  work  of 
art  the  painting  did  not  strike  me  as  of  peculiar  merit ;  but  its 
appropriateness  for  recalling  the  sad  event  is  extremely  eifective. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  GRAND  BANQUET  AT  PARIS — OPINIONS  OF  THE  APPROACH- 
ING CRISIS  —  THE  GLOOMY  EVE  OF  THE  FATED  MORROW  — 
SUDDEN  TACKING  OF  THE  SHIP  OF  STATE  —  MENTAL  SCENES 
IN  THE  BOSOM  OF  THE  GOVERNMENT  —  MADAME  THE  DUCHESS 
OF  ORLEANS  —  MONSIEUR  GUIZOT  —  PARIS  IN  A  POSTURE  OF 
DEFENCE  —  THRILLING  SCENES  OF  THE  22D — THE  RIOTERS 
CHARGED    IN    THE    CHAMPS    ELYSEES. 

To-day,  that  is,  Sunday,  20th,  was  at  first  appointed  for  the 
holding  of  the  Banquet  in  Paris ;  but  the  leaders  changed  the 
time  to  Tuesday,  22d,  because  that  on  Sunday  and  Monday  the  la- 
boring classes  being  at  liberty,  would  be  present  in  greater  numbers, 
and  tlius  increase  the  probability  of  a  disturbance.  The  place  of 
holding  it,  too,  was  changed  from  one  of  the  most  frequented  parts 
of  Paris,  to  the  grounds  of  a  wealthy  gentleman  in  the  Champs 
Elyse.es. 

At  this  time,  the  Parisian  public  seemed  not  to  be  particularly 
engrossed  with  the  serious  nature  of  the  approaching  event,  or 
much  anxious  about  the  consequences  to  whicli  it  might  give  birth. 
The  press,  it  is  true,  had  pretty  freely  discussed  the  matter,  — but 
the  public  mind  had  become  quite  used  to  inflammatory  addresses. 
Besides,  the  tone  of  the  press  had  lowered  its  pitch  within  a  few 
days,  and  assumed  something  of  a  temperate  and  sincere  style. 
This,  to  a  sagacious  and  penetrating  mind,  was  ominous  of  a  con- 
viction on  the  part  of  the  leaders  of  the  press,  of  the  fearful  nature 

23* 


270  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


of  the  pending  controversy ;  but  to  the  unreflecting  masses,  it 
served  to  dissipate  the  impression  of  danger.  It  was  reported  that 
English  travellers  tarrying  in  Paris,  had  taken  occasion  to  leave ; 
and  that  great  numbers  of  English  families  residing  in  Paris,  had 
precipitately  removed  away  ;  but  the  trepidation  which  the  Eng- 
lish are  wont  to  show  on  the  slightest  rumor  of  a  political  disturb- 
ance in  Paris,  sufficiently  explained  that  act.  These  were  mere 
eddies  in  the  stream  of  Parisian  opinion.  The  general  current  of 
trade  and  pleasux-e  rolled  on  with  its  wonted  volume  and  velocity. 
I  had  endeavored  to  ascertain  the  state  of  private  opinion,  as 
to  the  result  of  the  coming  Banquet,  by  questioning  freely  persons 
of  different  classes  of  society.  My  teacher  himself,  a  member  of 
the  National  Guard,  confidently  looked  forward  to  a  collision  with 
the  populace,  and  a  consequent  revolution,  in  which  he  would  ar- 
dently engage  against  the  government.  To  my  expression  of 
doubt  of  the  merest  probability  of  his  party's  success,  against  the 
powerful  army  of  the  government,  with  an  air  of  assurance  he 
quickly  replied,  ^^^ous  verrons"  "  We  shall  see."  The  shop- 
keepers seemed  too  much  engrossed  in  their  trade  to  have  given 
the  subject  much  attention,  and  would  not  venture  on  an  opinion. 
The  teachers  were  of  deliberate  opinion,  that  there  prevailed  an 
extensive  and  deep  opposition  among  the  mass  of  the  population, 
but  that  the  government  was  too  strongly  entrenched  behind  its  ram- 
part of  cannon  and  bayonet,  to  admit  of  the  possibility  of  a  serious 
disturbance.  The  broker  and  his  lady  who  weekly  exchanged  a 
gold-piece  for  me,  looked  up  in  my  face  with  a  half-abstracted,  half- 
inquiring  air,  as  if  they  had  given  no  subject  attention,  except 
the  table  of  weights  and  measures.  My  graceful  landlady  was 
certain  there  would  be  no  alarming  trouble.  The  speeches  and 
talk  that  had  been  made,  were  mei-e  gasconade,  and  would  all  end 
in  smoke,  —  but  then  she  was  the  mistress  of  a  hotel  with  rooms 


GRAND  BANQUET  AT  PARIS.  271 


to  let.  There  was  residing  just  across  the  way,  nearly  opposite 
to  my  hotel,  a  young  man,  the  keeper  of  a  little,  meagre  shop,  for 
second-hand  boots  and  shoes.  He  was  a  frank,  generous,  buoyant 
spirit,  full  of  poetry  and  a  love  of  adventure,  and  possessed  withal 
deeply  of  that  true  nonchalance  which  sets  so  gracefully  upon  cer- 
tain styles  of  character.  I  sought  frequent  conversations  with 
him,  not  only  for  the  amusement  they  afforded  me,  but  because  he 
was  a  representative  of  a  large  class  of  Parisians  who  are  only 
satisfied  with  their  present  condition,  because  they  cannot  do  bet- 
ter ;  who,  in  a  revolution,  have  nothing  to  lose,  and  everything  to 
gain ;  who  ever  thirst  for  a  scene,  and  will  fight  for  the  gratifi- 
cation which  the  excitement  produces.  These  are  ever  eager  for 
a  change  of  scenery,  and  rush  deliriously  forward  to  whatever 
promises  stirring  and  brilliant  achievements.  They  may  be  found 
among  the  foremost  at  the  barricades,  fighting  desperately,  but 
without  as  much  aim  as  the  school-boy  who  defends  to  the  last  a 
ruthless  attack  upon  a  snow-fort.  In  a  recent  interview  with  him, 
something  like  the  following  conversation  ensued  : 

"  "VYell,"  said  I,  "  you  are  going  to  have  a  great  time  in  Paris, 
next  Tuesday." 

"  Yes,  I  hear  of  such  talk." 

"  Shall  you  be  at  the  Banquet?  " 

"  Without  doubt.     I  am  always  among  the  crowd." 

"  In  case  of  a  collision,  would  you  fight  ?  " 

"  Tliat  would  depend  how  I  should  feel,  sir." 

On  the  Monday  evening  his  humble  shop  was  closed,  nor  did  I 
see  it  open  again.  Whether  he  stayed  among  the  crowd  that  found 
a  common  grave,  or  not,  it  would  not  be  easy  for  me  to  say. 

A  few  doors  from  me  was  a  variety  store,  kept  by  an  aged 
lady  and  her  two  only  children,  a  boy  about  seventeen,  and  a  girl 
perhaps  sixteen.     Tlie  woman  was  one  of  those  remarkable  per- 


272  CHESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

sonages  occasionally  to  be  met  with  in  all  countries,  who  are  liv- 
ing encyclopedias  of  general  and  particular  information.  Her 
chapter  on  the  life  and  pedigree  of  distinguished  persons,  was  as 
full  and  interesting  as  that  of  any  other  subject ;  and  she  narrated 
to  me  with  great  minuteness  whatever  it  was  desirable  to  know  of 
the  entire  family  of  Louis  Phillippe.  She  lived  in  Paris  durmg 
the  old  Kevolution,  was  imprisoned,  had  been  an  eye-witness  of 
some  of  the  most  thrilling  and  awful  scenes  that  occurred  then, 
and  had  taken  place  since ;  and  she  had,  as  might  be  expected, 
whole  volumes  to  unfold,  of  the  unparalleled  events  of  those 
times.  Her  earnest  manner  and  pathos  of  tone,  gave  a  curdling 
vividness  to  the  scenes  she  depicted.  She  felt  certain  that  the 
approaching  banquet  would  be  the  means  of  a  bloody  revolution. 
She  knew  the  French  character  too  well,  and  had  watched  the 
current  of  events  too  closely  to  doubt  of  that.  She  earnestly  ad- 
vised me,  nay  implored  me,  if  I  valued  my  life,  or  regarded  the 
feelings  of  my  family  or  friends,  to  lose  no  time  in  quitting  the 
city ;  for,  said  she,  although  the  Americans  would  not  knowingly 
be  harmed  if  they  should  not  engage  in  the  combat,  still  in  such 
frightful  times  no  one  is  safe.  Her  children,  however,  did  not  share 
her  fears.  They  were  light-hearted  and  sportive  spirits,  and  would 
caper  round  the  store,  and  hang  upon  their  mother  in  frohcsome 
glee,  like  playful  kittens.  The  young  man  positively  threatened 
to  leave  for  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  on  the  first  notice  of  an  out- 
break, —  and  with  wooden  sword  and  cockade  cap,  and  serio-comic 
air,  strutted  the  Napoleon ;  while  his  sister  would  second  his  far- 
cical acts  by  playing  the  part  of  Maria  Theresa  of  Austria,  in 
some  of  the  dramatic  scenes  of  that  heroine. 

Feb.  2\st.  The  morrow  of  this  day  was  appointed  for  the  great 
banquet.  Anxiety  was  visible  during  the  day  in  the  countenances 
of  all.     The  feeling  was  less  profound,  however,  as  it  was  gene- 


THE  BANQL'ET  FORBIDDEN.  273 


rally  understood  that  there  existed  a  tacit  agreement  between  the 
Government  and  the  Opposition,  that  the  former  would  place  no 
obstacle  to  the  holding  of  the  banquet,  but  would  content  itself  by 
merely  contesting  the  legality  of  the  act  in  the  highest  judicial 
court  of  the  nation.  In  that  case,  there  could  be  no  serious  cause 
of  alarm.  Any  disturbance  would  be  the  merely  casual  one 
growing  out  of  the  igniting  force  of  numbers,  and  easily  subdued 
by  the  police  or  national  guards.  But  late  in  the  afternoon,  the 
government  suddenly  tacked  the  ship  of  state,  by  resolving  to 
forbid  the  assembling  of  the  banquet,  except  the  members  of  the 
Chamber  of  Deputies,  and  to  emjjloy  the  iron  force  of  the  State 
to  secure  the  obedience  to  its  decrees.  This  decision  was  announ- 
ced in  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  by  M.  Guizot,  the  prime  minister, 
and  head  and  front  of  the  offending  government.  In  an  incredible 
short  space  of  time  afterwards,  this  decree  was  posted  up  all  over  the 
city ;  and  government  officers  on  horseback  were  sweeping  tlirough 
the  streets  in  every  direction,  evidently  in  the  fulfilment  of 
weighty  missions.  The  tone  of  the  decree  was  severe  and  deci- 
ded. It  permitted  the  members  of  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  to 
Assemble,  but  they  must  hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  retire  on 
the  first  summons  of  the  government.  All  other  citizens  were 
forbidden  to  be  present,  on  severe  penalties ;  and  it  wound  up 
with  this  firm  language :  "  And  the  government  shall  know  how  to 
execute  its  requirements." 

As  might  be  expected,  this  sudden  political  turn  struck  the  Op- 
position pei-fectly  aghast,  and  threw  them  into  the  greatest  embar- 
rassment. It  was  as  unexpected  as  irritating.  Lamartine,  in- 
spired with  a  prescience,  arose,  and  in  one  of  those  sublime 
bursts  of  eloquence  for  which  he  is  so  distinguished,  broke  forth 
in  the  following  noble  exclamation  :  "  By  this  arbitrary  act  the 
government  has  jAaced  its  hand  upon  the  mouth  of  the  nation ; 


274  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

be  the  consequences  of  its  guilt  upon  its  own  head"  But  what 
course  should  they  adopt  ? 

To  deliberate  upon  the  policy  best  to  be  pursued,  and  concert  a 
plan  of  action,  a  number  of  the  Opposition  membei's  immediately 
held  a  private  meeting.  The  situation  in  which  they  were  thus  un- 
expectedly thrown,  was  indeed  embarrassing.  Either  of  the  two 
alternatives  presented  them  was  sufficiently  desperate  or  humilia- 
ting. To  persist  in  holding  the  banquet,  would  be  to  provoke  a 
bloody  conflict,  and  accept  the  appalling  horrors  of  a  revolution, 
by  force  of  arms.  To  retreat  before  the  menace  of  the  govern- 
ment, would  be  to  betray  the  confidence  of  the  republican  party, 
and  annihilate  its  name.  About  two  hundred  members  of  every 
shade  were  present.  The  discussion  was  long  and  ardent,  and  the 
opinions  diverse.  As  bitter  as  it  was  for  all,  moderate  counsels, 
however,  prevailed ;  and  in  a  note  which  appeared  in  one  of  the 
evening  journals,  signed  by  some  of  the  leading  Deputies,  the  Op- 
position made  known  its  resolution  to  its  constituents :  "  Although," 
said  they,  "  we  are  protected  in  our  capacity  of  Deputies,  yet  wo 
cannot  take  the  responsibility  of  the  evils  that  would  fall  upon 
those  who  might  be  induced  to  join  us,  nor  the  results  that  would 
follow  to  the  country.  We  shall,  therefore,  stay  at  home  ;  and  we 
advise  all  good  citizens  to  do  the  same." 

"When  late  in  the  afternoon,  the  news  first  spread  through  the 
city,  that  the  government  had  determined  to  put  down  the  banquet 
by  force  of  arms,  every  heart  was  filled  with  anxiety  and  dread. 
All  countenances  bore  a  sad  and  boding  expression.  About 
dusk,  at  the  corners  of  streets  or  in  by-lanes,  might  be  seen  men 
dressed  in  blouses,  gathered  in  knots,  with  sinister  faces,  in  a  low 
tone  ominously  discussing  the  posture  of  affairs,  or  tearing  down 
the  government  decrees,  while  muttering  execrations  against  M. 
Guizot  and  his  government.     But  when  later  in  the  evening,  the 


THE  GATHERING  STORM.  275 


decision  of  the  Opposition  to  retire  was  made  known,  the  public 
anxiety  was  a  good  deal  relieved.  Still,  there  was  an  instinctive 
feeling,  that  affairs  had  already  proceeded  too  far  now  to  be  quietly 
adjusted.  The  government,  by  its  vacillation  and  perfidy,  had,  in 
the  minds  of  the  masses,  added  contempt  to  hatred.  The  Oppo- 
sition, by  its  humane  and  self-sacrificing  spirit  to  spare  the  blood 
of  the  citizens,  had  enkindled  an  enthusiasm  of  admiration  and 
sympathy.  The  extensive  preparations  for  the  banquet  were  all 
completed.  Delegates  and  gentlemen  from  the  provinces  and 
cities  of  France,  had  already  arrived  by  thousands,  to  participate 
in  the  festival.  The  unbounded  love  of  the  Parisians  for  magnifi- 
cent spectacles  had  become  excited.  All  these  causes  added  to 
that  principle  of  human  nature  which  ill  brooks  a  severe  disap- 
pointment, and  that  impulse  of  desire  and  determination  Avhich 
arbitrary  opposition  lends,  -would,  it  was  justly  feared,  give  a  per- 
sistence and  recklessness  to  the  passions  of  the  populace,  that 
nothing  short  of  bloodshed  would  stifie. 

The  reason  offered  by  the  government  for  its  sudden  change  of 
determination  at  so  late  an  hour  was,  that  the  Opposition,  by  in- 
viting large  numbers  of  the  National  Guards  to  be  present,  al- 
though without  arms,  had  given  to  the  occasion  an  unusual,  if  not 
a  suspicious  feature,  which  required  to  be  checked.  All  felt,  how- 
ever, that  this  was  a  mere  pretext,  and  that  the  true  reason  arose 
from  the  alarm  which  the  unusual  enthusiasm  for  the  banquet  had 
excited  in  the  Parisian  populace,  as  well  as  in  the  country  gen- 
erally. 

This  was  the  posture  of  affairs,  when  night  enshrouded  the 
city  with  a  darkness  increased  by  the  momentous  impending  crisis. 
What  were  the  mental  scenes  that  the  night  gave  birth  to,  at  the 
palace,  and  in  the  bosom  of  the  government !  Subsequent  events 
have  thrown  some  light  upon  these.     The  king  affected  to  despise 


276  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

the  elements  of  hostility  which  were  arraying  themselves  against 
his  power.  He  would  fain  trust  in  his  star,  in  the  devotion  of  the 
army  commanded  by  the  princes,  his  sons,  —  in  his  majority  in  the 
chambers,  in  the  skill  of  his  adroit  ministers,  in  the  vast  manufac- 
turing and  commercial  interests  which  always  fear  a  revolution ;  — 
still,  in  reality,  it  was  evident  that  he  was  not  without  a  mental 
trepidation ;  a  vertigo  of  mind  seemed  to  have  come  over  him. 
The  address  with  which  for  so  long  a  time  he  had  ruled  France,  and 
in  some  measure  Europe,  had  at  last  forsaken  him.  This  was 
evident  from  the  uncalled-for  language  of  the  crown  address,  and 
his  shifting  course  in  respect  to  the  banquets.  In  truth,  the  king 
had  become  old,  and,  though  not  wanting  in  bravery,  had  lost  in  a 
measure  that  persistence  of  will  which  sustains  more  youthful 
men  in  trying  scenes.  He  had  ever  before  his  eyes  the  fate  of 
Charles  X,  as  well  as  that  of  the  predecessors  of  that  monarch. 
The  terrible  scenes  of  the  revolution  of  '  89  continually  haunted 
his  imagination.  He  well  knew  the  combustible  character  of  a 
portion  of  the  Parisian  population.  Should  an  outbreak  arrive, 
his  humane  heart  would  revolt  at  reacting  the  horrid  part  of  the 
youthful  Napoleon,  and  flooding  the  streets  of  Paris  with  the 
blood  of  its  citizens.  But  after  all,  would  his  army  certainly  stand 
by  him  ?  Might  they  not  in  the  trying  hour  hesitate  to  shed  the 
blood  of  fathers,  brothers,  or  lovers  in  a  war  against  their  own,  and 
human  rights  ?  Of  the  possible  disaffection  of  the  army,  unfortu- 
nately for  the  peace  of  the  king,  he  had  received  already  some 
intimation  from  one  of  his  trusty-hearted  generals.  At  this  stage 
of  the  imminent  crisis  undoubtedly  the  king  would  have  willingly 
yielded  to  the  desire  of  the  nation  for  a  new  ministry.  But  that 
step  it  was  now  too  late  to  take  with  safety.  It  might  have  been 
done  with  great  good  fortune,  to  the  royal  cause,  at  an  earlier 
stage,  when  it  would  have  seemed  to  be  a  gift  of  clemency,  and 


DUCHESS  OF  ORLEANS  277 


respect  to  the  national  will ;  but  given  out  now,  the  king  could  not 
fail  to  perceive  that  it  would  be  regarded  as  a  right  wrested  from 
arbitrary  power,  paving  the  way  for  greater  and  more  humiliating 
concessions. 

The  queen  shared  the  mental  agitation  of  the  king.  Passion- 
ately devoted  to  her  husband,  as  wife  and  mother,  and  arrived  at 
that  advanced  age  of  life  when  repose  and  tranquillity  are  so 
grateful  to  the  human  soul,  when  the  grandeur  of  human  ambition 
has  lost  its  charm,  she  naturally  thought  more  of  the  king's  safety 
and  the  repose  of  his  government,  than  of  any  advantage  that 
might  be  gained  in  attempting  to  check  the  inroads  of  democratical 
influence.  She,  therefore,  supplicated  the  king  to  grant  to  the 
Opposition  their  demands  for  the  right  to  liold  banqaets,  and  to 
form  a  new  ministry  whose  views  should  be  more  in  accordance 
with  the  national  will. 

There  was  still  another  personage  in  the  royal  mansion,  no  in- 
diflFerent  spectator  to  the  thickening  scene  of  events.  It  was 
Madame,  the  Duchess  of  Orleans.  She  had  been  a  widow  about 
six  years ;  her  universally  beloved  Imsband  was  killed  from  a  frac- 
ture, occasioned  by  an  accidental  fall,  in  jumping  out  of  his  carriage. 
The  oldest  of  her  two  sons,  the  Count  of  Paris,  now  eight  years 
of  age,  was  the  direct  heir  to  the  throne.  With  all  the  depth  of  a 
mother's  affection,  and  the  lofty  ambition  of  a  princess  of  the 
blood,  the  powers  of  her  maternal  soul  were  concentrated  upon 
her  dear  boy,  whom  it  had  been  the  solace  of  her  deep  affliction 
to  render  worthy  of  the  most  splendid  crown  of  Europe.  Tlie 
king  and  queen  were  soon  to  go  the  way  of  all  the  earth,  where 
crowns  lose  their  lustre ;  but  here  were  beings  just  ascending  the 
arch-way  of  the  future.  Life,  in  its  fascinating  power,  was  broad 
before  them.  With  the  menUd  quickness  of  a  woman,  and  the 
keen  sagacity  of  a  princess,  she  perceived  at  a  glance  her  danger, 

24 


278         CKESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

and  as  promptly  took  her  part.  She  infinitely  preferred  the  regu- 
lar and  peaceful  transfer  of  the  crown,  however  limited  by  con- 
stitutional rights,  to  the  risk  of  contesting  it  with  the  French 
populace.  In  the  Tuileries,  the  day  was  not  distant,  when  her 
heart  would  swell  with  maternal  pride  to  see  the  crown  deck  the 
brow  of  her  noble  boy.  But  once  filched  from  the  palace,  and  in 
the  hands  of  the  fickle  multitude,  and  the  greatest  uncertainty 
would  envelop  its  fate.  The  crowd  pretend  to  little  knowledge  of 
the  rights  of  the  court.  They  have  never  been  instructed  in  its 
etiquette.  Once  in  possession  of  the  glittering  bauble,  with  a 
sacrilegious  hand  they  would  be  as  likely  to  place  it  upon  the  head 
of  some  country  swain  to  enliven  the  festivities  of  some  gala-day, 
as  to  return  it  to  its  rightful  owner.  The  duchess,  therefore,  add- 
ed her  entreaties  to  those  of  the  queen,  and  implored  the  king 
even  on  bended  knees,  as  he  valued  his  safety,  the  permanency  of 
his  power,  the  rights  of  his  children,  to  make  a  slight  concession, 
and  save  the  crown. 

There  was  still  another  in  the  imperial  picture.  It  was  the 
prime  minister,  M.  Guizot.  It  was  more  against  him  than  against 
the  king  and  the  royal  family,  that  the  ire  of  the  Opposition  popu- 
lace was  directed.  He  was  regarded,  either  as  the  base  instru- 
ment of  a  reactionary  policy,  or  a  principal  agent  in  a  misapplied 
power,  inhumanly  bartering  the  sacred  rights  of  human  freedom 
for  the  pride  of  a  cold  and  ascetic  philosophy.  Guizot  was  es- 
teemed politically  a  host  in  himself  The  French  populace  looked 
upon  him  as  the  Nestor  of  European  diplomacy  and  the  Ulysses  of 
French  politics.  He  had  been  at  the  head  of  the  French  govern- 
ment so  long,  that  he  seemed  the  main  pillar  in  the  political  edi- 
fice. Against  him  had  been  directed  from  time  to  time  the  keen 
arrows  of  the  Opposition ;  but  these  shafts,  fully  steeped  in  the 
gall  of  poUtical  virulence,  aod  impelled  with  the  redoubled  force 


M.  GUTZOT.  279 


of  united  action,  flanked  with  the  omnipotent  power  of  Freedom 
and  Human  Progress,  had  hitherto  struck  against  him  in  harm- 
less impotence.  Indeed,  he  was  wont  to  take  upon  his  impervious 
shield  the  envenomed  missiles  with  the  adroit  skill  of  an  uncon- 
quered  hero,  smiling  with  ineffable  disdain  as  they  di-opped  pow- 
erless at  his  feet,  —  or  seizing  them  in  turn,  with  a  giant  force  to 
hurl  them  back  upon  his  foes,  often  with  destructive  effect,  Gui- 
zot  is  a  man  of  immense  talents  and  powerful  genius.  His  re- 
markable powers  of  mind  are  only  equalled  by  the  extent  and 
finish  of  their  culture.  So  precocious  was  his  intellect,  that  at  the 
age  of  fifteen,  it  is  reported,  he  could  read  in  their  native  langua- 
ges, Demosthenes,  Tacitus,  Dante,  Goethe,  and  Shakspeare,  He 
ranked  among  the  foremost  as  a  professor  at  the  Sarbonne,  As  a 
publicist  of  the  English  school,  his  reputation  was  unequalled  in 
France.  As  a  parliamentary  orator,  though  rarely  eloquent,  yet 
he  was  ever  masterly.  He  was  mailed  all  over,  and  had  not  a 
flaw  in  his  armor  through  which  the  shaft  of  objection  might  pene- 
trate and  wound.  But  as  a  historian,  M,  Guizot  stands  out  most 
conspicuously.  Although  not  the  father  of  philosophical  history, 
he  is  emphatically  the  great  discourser  of  the  profound  science  of 
the  present  age.  In  this  character  he  will  continue  to  shine  as  a 
fixed  star  in  the  upper  heaven  of  the  world's  career.  His  well- 
earned  fame  had  become  widely  spread  among  the  masses  who 
always  bear  a  chivalrous  enthusiasm  for  great  genius  and  talent, 
and  created  for  him  a  prestige  of  influence.  But  nearly  the 
entire  force  of  the  French  press,  able,  earnest,  eloquent,  had 
changed  the  current  of  his  popularity  to  enmity.  The  greater  the 
strength  of  the  prime  minister,  the  more  implacable  became  the 
Opposition,  just  as  a  barrier  gathers  the  waters  of  a  rapid  stream. 
Public  feeling,  which  has  no  conscience,  and  consequently  knows 
no   remorse,  had  become   intensified   against   the  Government's 


280  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN- WORLD. 


strongest  supporter.  Powerful  influences  had  now  set  it  in  move- 
ment. It  had  often  before  in  storms  of  agitation,  laved  even  the 
pedestal  of  the  government,  and  more  than  once  dashed  the  sides 
of  the  political  pillar.  But  now  appearances  foreboded  a  deeper 
surging  from  the  tempest  than  had  before  been  seen.  The  tem- 
porary stillness  that  reigned,  was  only  the  fatal  hush  that  preceded 
the  shock.  It  cannot  be  doubted  that  M.  Guizot  felt  a  conscious- 
ness of  his  approaching  fate.  His  keen  mental  vision  must  have 
divined  the  end  to  which  the  government  was  hastening.  But  his 
policy  could  not  then  be  changed  with  dignity  or  safety.  Like  a 
true  hero,  he  would  rather  die  a  martyr  to  his  policy, — to  his  cause. 
The  misfortune  of  Guizot  was  in  his  principles  ;  and  the  misfor- 
tune of  his  principles  was,  that  they  came  into  the  world  a  century 
too  late.  His  policy  was  eminently  conservative.  The  Ojiposition 
demanded  reform  and  progress.  The  two  diverging  principles 
borne  upon  on  either  side  by  the  increasing  pressure  of  arbitrary 
power  and  national  will,  were  destined  to  a  tremendous  collapse. 
This,  the  prime  minister  foreseeing,  wrapped  himself  in  his  man- 
tle, and  calmly  awaited  his  fate. 

Nevertheless,  the  Government  neglected  no  means  to  stay  its 
tottering  power.  A  force  of  upwards  of  fifty  thousand  men  had 
been  concentrated  in  and  around  Paris.  The  artillery  of  Viu- 
cennes  was  to  be  transported,  at  the  first  alarm,  to  the  Faubourg 
of  St.  Autoine.  Dispositions  long  and  well  studied,  had  placed, 
since  1830,  in  case  of  an  insurrection,  strategic  posts  to  different 
corps  in  different  quarters.  Any  emute  intercepted  by  these  posts, 
was  to  be  broken  into  fragments,  and  thus  prevented  to  concen- 
trate. The  fort  of  Mount  Valerin  was  to  be  occupied  with  a  nu- 
merous garrison,  and  horse-troops  stationed  upon  the  road  thence 
to  Paris  and  St.  Cloud.  Thirty-seven  battaUons  of  infantry,  a 
battalion  of  Orleans   Chasseurs,  three  companies  of  engineers, 


assp:mbltng  of  the  populace.  281 


twenty  squadrons,  four  thousand  men  of  the  municipal  guard  and 
veterans,  five  batteries  of  artillery,  formed  the  garrison  of  the  capital. 

Feh.  22d.  The  morning  of  the  eventful  day  had  now  arrived. 
I  took  an  early  stroll  to  observe  the  hue  of  appearances.  Nothing, 
at  first,  seemed  to  bode  a  sinister  day.  The  citizens  bore  no  arms, 
neither  openly,  nor  secreted  under  their  garments  ;  nor  w-as  there 
a  lowering  expression  painted  upon  their  visages.  All  was  as 
usual,  except  a  deeper  stillness  than  ordinary.  A  little  later  in 
the  morning,  however,  crowds  of  inoffensive  and  curious  people 
began  to  assemble  upon  the  boulevards  and  quays.  Mutually  at- 
tracted by  curiosity,  they  seemed  drawn  together  to  observe,  rather 
than  to  meditate  for  action. 

The  students  of  the  several  schools,  —  the  advance  guard  of  all 
the  revolutions  —  united  by  groups  in  their  quarters,  and  then  as- 
sembled upon  the  Place  de  la  Madehne.  Thence  they  sent  a 
deputation  from  their  number  to  the  leaders  of  the  Opposition, 
asking  of  the  latter  what  they  were  to  do,  and  signifying  an  entire 
readiness  to  execute  their  commands.  Subsequently  they  swept 
in  immense  numbers  through  the  streets,  linked  arm  in  arm,  ex- 
tending in  tiers  quite  across  the  street  and  singing  most  animatingly 
the  celebrated  Marsellaise.  The  impression  which  their  stirring 
melody  made  upon  my  mind,  as  standing  in  the  door  of  a  fre- 
quented reading-room  they  poured  thus  past  me,  will  hardly  ever 
be  effaced.  This  movement,  with  the  singing,  electrified  the  pop- 
ulace through  which  they  passed.  Their  column  continually  in- 
creased. Traversing  the  Place  de  la  Concorde,  they  crossed  the 
Port  Royal,  forced  open  the  gates  of  the  palace  of  the  Chamber 
of  Deputies,  and  then  spread,  aimlessly,  in  the  garden  and  upon 
the  quays.  A  regiment  of  dragoons  soon  dispersed  them.  Then 
the  infantry  arrived  and  took  possession  of  the  street  of  Bour- 
goyne,  and  established  a  military  defence  of  the  bridge. 

24* 


282  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


At  ten  o'clock,  the  hour  that  had  been  apponited,  according  to 
the  arrangement  of  the  banquet,  for  the  convives  to  form  a  pro- 
cession upon  the  Place  of  the  Madeline,  and  thence  proceed  to  the 
banquet,  in  the  Champs  Elysees,  groups  of  boys  and  blouses  as- 
sembled upon  the  square  around  the  church,  and  finding  there 
nothing  to  feed  their  ardor,  moved  on,  and  dispersed  promiscuously, 
in  small  knots,  in  the  Champs  Elysees  and  in  the  Place  de  la  Con- 
corde. Their  expression  and  movement  attracted  crowds  of  the 
curious  in  the  same  direction,  and  the  military  were  posted  around 
them  to  watch  their  progress,  and  guard  against  an  outbreak. 

Early  in  the  afternoon,  I  set  out  for  the  office  of  the  Secretary 
of  Legation,  Rue  Martineau,  in  order  to  get  my  passport  viseed, 
preparatory  to  leaving  Paris.  My  route  lay  through  the  quarters 
where  the  crowd  had  become  most  dense.  Passing  down  Rue  de 
Seine,  I  found  the  quays  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river  unusually 
free  of  people.  But  the  other  side  was  covered  with  the  an- 
imated and  moving  throng,  increasing  to  the  Pont  de  la  Concorde. 
As  this  human  stream  was  moving  my  own  way,  I  was  swiftly 
swept  along,  hastened  by  the  common  pulsation  of  curiosity.  The 
garden  of  the  Tuileries,  which  I  crossed,  was  as  solitary  as  a 
desert,  except  about  the  gate  which  leads  from  the  garden  into  the 
Place  de  la  Concorde,  where  the  throng  was  dense,  and  the  gate  shut 
and  guarded  against  passers.  Plere,  climbing  to  the  top  of  a  post,  I 
succeeded  to  a  gratifying  view  of  the  scene  farther  on.  The 
fine  square  of  the  Place  de  la  Concorde  Avas  nearly  filled.  On  one 
side  was  a  handsome  troop  of  cavalry  posted  in  close  column,  with 
stately  plumes,  brilliant  uniform,  and  armor  gleaming  in  the  rays 
of  the  declining  sun.  They  sat  upon  their  horses  as  motionless  as 
beings  from  whom  the  spirit  of  life  had  departed.  Their  down- 
cast eyes  were  turned  steadfastly  toward  the  point  of  danger ;  but 
their  countenances  expressed  more  of  sorrow  than  of  anger. 


DENSELY  CROWDED  STREETS.  283 


Two  other  sides  of  the  square  were  filled  with  a  packed  mass 
of  spectators,  idly,  but  eagerly  looking  on,  and  curiously  awaiting 
some  brilliant  explosion.  Between  these  were  insignificant  look- 
ing blouses  and  boys,  who  appeared  to  be  regarded  as  the  embryo 
heroes  of  approaching  events.  They  would  occasionally  unite  in 
small  detached  groups,  send  up  in  the  air  a  faint  d  has  Guizot !  — 
then  disperse  and  disappear  in  the  skirts  of  the  crowd.  They  ap- 
peared reckless,  but  perfectly  good-natured.  It  was  evident  that 
they  were  not  yet  worked  up  to  the  fervor  of  action.  On  the  side 
of  the  square  flanked  by  rue  Rivoli,  was  a  vast  and  promiscuous 
throng  of  men,  women,  and  children,  —  all  eager,  curious  and 
anxious.  This  extended  wave  of  life  would  at  one  time  ebb  oif, 
leaving  the  space  in  that  direction  almost  open,  and  then  surge  up 
in  a  dense  mass,  threatening  to  block  up  every  nook  of  the  entire 
square.  As  it  was  impossible  to  pursue  my  route  farther  from 
this  point,  I  descended  the  garden  to  a  gate  opening  into  rue 
Rivoli,  through  which  I  passed,  and  with  difficulty  forced  my  way 
through  the  compact  and  vibrating  crowd  to  the  side  of  the  Place 
de  la  Concorde,  where  several  streets  radiate.  Here,  contrary 
currents  of  people  meeting,  were  suffocatingly  forced  upon  each 
other,  and  engulfed  in  a  whirlpool,  from  which  there  appeared  no 
way  of  extraction.  It  was  a  maelstrom  of  lesser  size.  After 
being  swept  around  for  some  time  in  the  merciless,  boiling  tide,  till 
I  felt  the  life  to  be  nearly  squeezed  out  of  me,  a  chance  eddy  pre- 
cipitated me  into  a  niche  of  the  buildings  of  the  street,  where  I 
gratefully  took  a  long  breath.  Here,  watching  a  favorable  turn,  I 
darted  out  with  a  view  to  thread  the  corner,  and  reach  the  space 
of  the  Champs  Elysees,  —  but  I  had  no  sooner  reached  a  point 
where  I  fancied  myself  out  of  danger,  when  a  fitful  surge  came 
rolling  full  upon  me,  and  swept  me  back  quite  down  rue  de  Rivoli 
into  Rue  Royal,  as  impotcntly  as  some  tiny  bauble  borne  u})on  the 


284  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


boiling  bosom  of  a  swollen  freshet.  I  now  changed  my  route,  and 
thought  I  might  reach  my  destination  by  the  Rue  St.  Honore, 
which  was  parallel  with  rue  de  Rivoli  and  the  Champs  Elysees  ; 
but  I  found  this  street,  too,  so  choked  with  people,  that  moving 
through  it  seemed  quite  impossible.  But  all  these  obstacles  only 
served  to  inflame  my  ardor,  and  strengthen  my  purpose  to  succeed 
in  getting  the  necessary  changes  made  in  my  passport  to  enable 
me  to  leave  the  city  at  the  moment  I  might  wish.  Indeed,  I  be- 
came almost  desperate  in  my  efforts,  and  tugged  away  with  an 
energy  and  perseverance  worthy  of  a  more  important  cause. 
Reaching  the  wall  of  the  street,  and  pressing  hard  against  it  with 
my  back,  when  the  jambed  throng  surged  with  resistless  force  in 
the  contrary  direction,  and  pressing  and  elbowing  my  way,  a  little, 
when  the  opposition  slightly  relaxed,  I  finally,  with  much  ado, 
reached  the  office,  minus  buttons,  and  hat  fit  for  the  block  of  the 

hatter.     I  found  Mr.  S ,  Secretary  of   Legation,  tranquilly 

enjoying  a  cigar  with  an  acquaintance-caller.  Neither  of  them 
had  been  out  for  the  day  to  see  the  demonstrations,  and  they  ques- 
tioned, with  a  slightly  anxious  tone,  to  know  how  affairs  were 
moving  in  the  streets.  Speaking  rather  jocosely  and  incredulously 
of  the  puny  efforts  of  the  emuteurs  against  the  strongly  fortified 
powers  of  the  Government,  Mr.  S ,with  a  gusto  of  sympathy  re- 
counted the  heroic  wish  of  a  lady  of  his  acquaintance  residing  in 
the  Champs  Elysees,  that  the  emute  might  not  be  so  soon  quelled 
as  to  deprive  her  of  the  excitement  and  gratification  of  witnessing 
the  sport,  —  and  affording  a  rich  reminiscence  to  reproduce  among 
her  friends  in  the  United  States.  It  cannot  be  doubted  that  her 
curiosity  was  amply  satisfied. 

Returning  homeward,  I  could  not  well  resist  the  curiosity  of 
obtaining  a  view  of  what  might  be  worthy  of  remembrance,  by 
taking  the  route  of  the  Champs  Elysees ;  but  I  was  near  being 


A  PAINFUL  SCENE.  285 


dearly  paid  for  my  temerity.  After  reaching  a  post  where  the 
crowd  was  somewhat  dense  among  the  venerable  elms  of  the 
splendid  park,  a  group  of  emuteurs  who  had  been  vociferating 
cries  of  a  bus  Gidzot,  were  charged  and  dispersed  by  a  small  body 
of  light-horse.  When  these  latter  were  returning  from  the  charge, 
the  rioters  rallied,  and  for  a  moment  the  air  was  darkened  with 
every  description  of  missiles  at  hand.  One  of  these  striking  a 
horseman  upon  the  head,  felled  him  senseless  to  the  earth.  Upon 
this,  the  exasperated  troop  turned  their  horses,  and  with  drawn 
swords,  rushed  fui-iously  upon  the  rioters,  dealing  severe  cuts  in 
every  direction.  Without  changing  my  pace,  they  thundered  past 
me,  offering  me  no  harm.  But  at  the  cruel  scene  around  me,  my 
heart  sickened,  and  my  eyes  grew  dim.  In  a  moment  I  was 
wedged  among  the  crowd  of  spectators,  who,  partaking  of  the  gen- 
eral panic,  received  an  impetus  of  movement  which  by  turns  com- 
pletely took  me  from  the  ground,  and  I  was  swept  along  far  from 
the  immediate  scene  of  action.  The  above  act  was  the  only  one 
that  I  could  hear  of,  in  which  blood  was  shed  during  the  day. 
Among  the  entire  population  there  was  evinced  no  feeling  of 
strong  passion.  The  evening  joui'nals  had  modiried  their  tone. 
The  Opposition  journals  limited  themselves  to  little  more  than 
detailing  the  known  transactions  of  the  day.  The  Government 
journals,  on  the  contrary,  were  loud  in  support  of  the  government, 
urging  it  to  vigorous  measures.  The  Journal  des  Debats  made 
use  of  the  following  pointed  language :  "  Advance  upon  the  phan- 
tom, and  it  will  vanish ;  fly  from  it,  and  it  will  increase  to  the 
sky."  After  gleaning  whatever  possible  of  information  in  regard 
to  the  true  posture  of  affairs,  with  mingled  emotions  of  expecta- 
tion respecting  the  fate  of  the  morrow,  I  retired. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

REVOLUTION  CONTINUED  —  SUAVITY  AND  KINDNESS  OF  MR. 
KUSII  —  CHAMBER  OF  DEPUTIES  —  M.  GUIZOT  IN  THE  TRIBUNE 
—  GENIAL  EFFECT  UPON  THE  PUBLIC  MIND  OF  THE  RUMORED 
RESIGNATION  OF  M.  GUIZOT  —  READING  ROOMS  —  ALARM  IN 
THE  NIGHT — CAUSE — DEPARTURE  —  APPEARANCE  OF  THE 
STREETS  —  THE  ENGLISHMAN  —  DEPARTURE  FROM  PARIS  — ■ 
EXCITEMENT  OF  THE  INHABITANTS  ON  THE  ROUTE  —  AMIENS 
APPEARANCE    OF    BELGIUM. 

Wednesday,  Feb.  23d.  The  night  passed  without  material  dis- 
order. The  troops  bivouacked  upon  the  public  squares,  and  in 
the  streets.  A  few  chairs  and  benches  in  the  Champs  Elysees, 
set  fire  to  by  some  boys,  gave  a  slight  illumination  of  disorder. 
Yet  the  government  were  everywhere  master  of  the  pavement, 
except  in  a  few  narrow  streets  around  the  cloister  of  St.Mery,  in  the 
centre  of  Paris,  which  forms  a  kind  of  natural  citadel.  There  some 
four  or  five  hundred  desperate  republicans  were  thronged  in  dog- 
ged defiance.  But  their  chiefs  even  disapproved  their  obstinacy 
and  temerity.  Another  detachment  of  republicans,  without  lead- 
ers, disarmed  during  the  night  the  National  Guards  of  the  Batig- 
nolles,  burned  the  post  of  the  barrier,  and  fortified  themselves  in 
a  carpenter's  yard,  to  await  future  events.  No  attempt  was  made 
to  dislodge  them.  Early  in  the  morning  I  made  a  stroll,  and 
found  the  city  calm  and  awaiting.  The  several  routes  leading  to 
the  gates  of  the  city  were  covered  at  the  earliest  dawn  with  col- 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION.  287 


umns  of  cavalry,  infantry,  artillery,  called  by  the  orders  of  the 
government.  These  troops  showed  a  promptitude  of  obedience, 
but  were  sad  and  silent.  The  possibility  of  a  civil  strife  darkened 
their  sun-burnt  visages.  They  severally  took  positions  at  the 
grand  junctions  of  the  quarters  which  divide  the  city.  During 
the  day,  armory  stores  were  broken  open,  arms  seized,  and  de- 
tached and  scattering  firing  made  upon  the  troops.  It  was  nearly, 
however,  Avithout  effect.  Barricades  were  raised,  commencing 
near  the  church  of  Saint  Mery,  and  extending  almost  to  the  feet 
of  the  soldiers.  But  they  were  no  sooner  raised,  than  abandoned  ; 
for  the  soldiers,  having  only  stones  to  fight,  would  not  waste  their 
ammunition. 

The  National  Guard,  composed  of  the  well-to-do  citizens  of 
the  city,  being  called  upon,  promptly  responded ;  but  they  re- 
mained neutral,  limiting  themselves  to  interfering  between  the 
people  and  the  troops,  with  a  spirit  of  pacification.  JMany  a  gen- 
erous act  might  be  recorded  of  some  young  man,  fired  with  senti- 
ments of  heroic  humanity,  breasting  danger  with  his  life,  to  stop  the 
effusion  of  blood. 

Early  in  the  forenoon,  I  called  on  JNIr.  Hush,  the  American  min- 
ister, who,  in  a  note  which  he  had  left  in  person,  the  evening  be- 
fore, at  my  hotel,  had  promised  to  put  me  in  a  way  to  visit  the 
Chamber  of  Deputies,  and  if  possible,  the  House  of  Peers.  I 
had  been  trying  for  this,  since  my  arrival  in  Paris,  but  without 
success,  —  and  as  a  last  resort,  had  api)liod  to  Mr.  Rush  for  assis- 
tance.    He  promptly  lent  me  all  aid  in  liis  power. 

I  found  him  arisen,  but  he  had  not  been  out.  He  inquired 
about  the  appearance  in  the  streets  with  a  feeling  of  anxiety,  but 
expressed  the  opinion  that  the  government  could  not  possibly  be 
moved  from  its  strong  position.  He  cordially  lent  me  his  own 
ticket  for  a  seat  in  the  Chamber  of  Deputies,  stating  that  fortu- 


288"  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

nately  for  me,  it  happened  to  be  the  first  day  it  had  been  in  for 
several  weeks,  so  great  had  been  the  desire  to  gain  access  to  the 
intensely  eloquent,  as  well  as  stormy,  sessions  of  that  body,  —  that 
there  were  then  numerous  applicants  for  the  favor,  but  he  felt 
bound  to  give  me  the  preference,  from  the  importance  of  my  mis- 
sion. As  to  the  Chamber  of  Peers,  it  was  not  in  his  power  to  do 
anything  for  me. 

Mr.  Rush  was  justly  popular  at  Paris.  He  has  a  frankness  of 
manner  which  places  you  at  once  at  your  ease,  and  so  enters 
into  your  feelings  that  you  are  comfortable  and  delighted  in  his 
presence.  He  converses  admirably,  and  evinces  a  tone  of  charac- 
ter and  polish  of  style  allied  to  great  simplicity,  that  bespeak  the 
true  gentleman. 

After  a  turn  or  two  about  the  city,  I  appeared  at  the  door  of  the 
Chamber  of  Deputies,  and  showing  the  ticket  of  Mr.  Rush,  was 
promptly  and  politely  conducted  to  a  box  in  the  north  side  of  the 
first  gallery.  It  was  half-past  twelve,  noon,  when  I  arrived, 
but  the  hall  was  quite  vacant.  At  one  o'clock,  the  president 
of  the  assembly  entered,  accompanied  by  the  officers  of  the  Cham- 
ber and  some  members.  He  immediately  pronounced  the  session 
open,  and  the  proceedings  of  the  last  day  were  read  by  the  clerk, 
but  no  one  gave  the  slightest  attention  to  the  exercise.  At  half- 
past  one  the  president  rang  his  large  bell,  and  requested  gentle- 
men to  be  seated ;  but  all  present  were  too  absorbed  in  conversing 
upon  affairs  without,  to  give  the  slightest  heed  to  the  summons ; 
and  it  was  three  o'clock  before  tolerable  order  could  be  obtained. 
Members  were  continually  entering  the  room,  or  passing  out,  for 
private  conferences  in  the  lobbies ;  or  assembled  in  groups,  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  hall,  and  conversing  with  an  earnest  and 
anxious  look.  It  was  deeply  interesting  to  watch  the  ebb  and 
flow  of  emotion  on  their  countenances,  as  a  letter  would  ever  and 


VISIT  TO  THE  CHAMBER  OF  DEPUTIES.  289 


anon  arrive,  bringing  intelligence  of  the  progress  of  the  revolution 
without. 

By  this  time,  the  boxes  in  the  first  gallery,  wliich  I  could  see, 
were  packed  with  spectators,  mostly  ladies,  whom  I  presumed  to 
be  the  wives,  daughters,  or  friends,  of  the  members. 

Another  gentleman  was  in  my  box,  who  had  come  in  soon  after  me. 
He  bore  the  costume,  and  had  the  air  of  a  cosmopolitan ;  and,  after 
making  a  careful  survey  of  the  scene,  had  laid  down  on  a  plushed 
seat,  and  closed  his  eyes  in  silence.  He  was  soon  followed  by 
another  young  gentleman,  who  could  not  be  mistaken  as  a  Yankee, 
although  attired  fastidiously  in  Parisian  style.  All  around  appeared 
new  to  him,  and  he  continually  evinced  a  pigeon-Uke  trepidation 
of  spirit.  As  soon  as  the  session  became  a  little  turbulent  he  left, 
precipitately,  evincing  no  relish  for  the  scenes  that  might  follow. 

Members  were  ever  passing  around  to  each  other,  in  familiar 
intercourse ;  but  the  principal  interest  seemed  to  centre  around 
the  seats  of  the  ministers  of  the  government,  who  were  busy  in 
receiving  the  chiefs  of  the  legislative  parties.  The  officer  of  the 
Chamber  made  several  fruitless  attempts  to  secure  order  and  at- 
tention, for  such  as  wished  to  address  the  house.  He  would  sound 
his  bell,  and  cry  out,  "  Messieurs,  aux  bancs,"  —  gentlemen  to 
their  seats,  —  which  was  heeded  as  little  as  would  have  been  the 
most  insignificant  appeal.  The  president  joined  his  official  au- 
thority to  his  personal  influence,  and  reminded  gentlemen  of 
their  duty,  and  what  was  due  to  their  dignity  :  but  it  all  fell  pow- 
erless amid  the  mortal  disquietude  which  consumed  every  other 
sentiment.  Two  or  three  times,  indeed,  partial  order  was  effected, 
to  enable  some  speaker  to  ascend  the  tribune  for  an  address, — 
but  after  the  delivery  of  a  few  sentences,  confusion  again  would 
break  in,  di'own  the  voice  of  the  orator,  and  force  him  to  quit  the 
tribune. 

25 


290  CEESTS  FKOM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


Towards  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  a  small  delegation  of  mili- 
tary officers  entered  the  hall,  and  one  of  them  in  a  respectful 
manner,  handed  a  paper  to  the  president.  While  the  latter  was 
reading  the  communication,  the  members  seated  themselves,  and 
there  was  instantly  profound  silence,  as  if  in  anticipation  of 
some  important  announcement.  The  president  then  stated  that 
the  palace  was  surrounded  with  troops  of  the  National  Guard 
who  had  despatched  a  deputation  from  their  number  to  request  or 
demand  a  resignation  of  the  ministry,  as  a  measure  indispensable 
to  appease  the  populace,  and  stop  further  effusion  of  blood.  This 
announcement  was  received  by  the  house  with  the  silence  of  sur- 
prise or  contempt.  Immediately  a  slender  figure,  a  little  above 
the  medium  French  stature,  darted  from  the  ministers'  seats  and 
ascended  the  tribune,  m  front  of  the  Speaker's  desk.  There  was 
a  slight  awkwardness  in  his  gait.  As  he  turned  to  the  audience 
to  speak,  his  features  bespoke  the  immobility  of  an  unconquerable 
purpose ;  and  his  eye,  the  slumbering  of  a  volcano  within.  It  was 
M.  Guizot,  the  prime  ministei'. 

He  had  uttered  but  a  few  sentences,  when  suddenly,  —  from  the 
most  breathless  attention  and  the  deepest  stillness,  —  the  entire 
assembly  broke  forth  in  one  astounding,  thrilling,  prolonged  accla- 
mation or  remonstrance.  Loud  cries  of  "Aye,  aye!"  "No,  no!" 
accompanied  by  intense  expression,  and  frantic  gestures,  filled  the 
room,  and  came  rolling  up  the  gallery  in  startling  effect.  The 
very  edifice  seemed  to  quake  under  the  impulse.  The  vast  assem- 
bly was  an  immensely  multiplied  electrical  battery,  and  each 
Frenchman  an  active  Leyden  jar.  Had  the  heavens  suddenly 
poured  their  accumulated  thunders  upon  my  ear,  or  played  their 
condensed  fire  through  my  veins,  I  could  harldly  have  been  more 
thrillingly  shocked.  As  to  the  gentleman,  my  only  companion  in  the 
box  I  occupied,  who  had  never  changed  from  the  horizontal  pos- 


RESIGNATION  OF  THE  GUIZOT  MINISTRY.  291 


ture  he  first  assumed  on  entering,  —  he  now  started  suddenly  up, 
looked  wildly  round,  protruded  his  head  out  upon  the  scene,  and  then, 
smiting  his  forehead  with  his  fists  as  if  in  a  fit  of  abject  despera- 
tion, leaped  out  by  the  door  like  a  maniac,  and  disappeared  from 
me  entirely.  During  this  exciting  scene,  the  speaker  remained  in  the 
same  posture,  as  motionless  as  a  statue.  Not  a  muscle  relaxed, 
and  no  emotion  was  visible  in  the  steady  features  and  unwaveruig 
eye.  Even  the  arm  remained  in  the  same  posture  of  the  half- 
finished  gesture.  He  was  saying,  when  the  explosion  took  place, 
"  that  the  demand  of  the  National  Guard  was  unnecessary,  as  the 
king  at  that  moment  was  forming  a  new  ministry."  When  the 
wliirlwind  of  passion  had  subsided,  he  turned  to  the  president,  and 
remarked  that  the  demonstration  which  had  just  taken  place  would 
not  influence  him  to  add  to  or  subtract  from  what  he  was  going  to 
say;  and  then  in  a  few  words  closed,  and  resumed  his  seat  among 
his  colleagues,  when  a  repetition  of  tlie  late  tumult  transpired.  The 
whole  scene  was  rich,  and  long  to  be  remembered.  I  could  never 
have  conceived  of  two  so  strong  opposites  in  the  same  character — 
such  a  tornado  of  intense  power,  vivid  energy,  intoxicating  thrill, 
and  lightning  impetuosity  enveloped  in  the  gay,  polite,  amiable, 
and  facile  Frenchman. 

On  my  way  homeward,  I  found  that  the  rumored  resignation  of 
the  Guizot  ministry  had,  with  the  winged  flight  of  good  intelli- 
gence, spread  among  all  classes.  The  evidence  of  it  beamed 
from  the  countenances  of  all.  The  sad,  anxious  face  was  changed 
to  one  of  hope  and  joy.  Men  and  women  accosted  each  other 
with  wonted  freedom  of  spii-it.  A  mental  load  seemed  to  be  re- 
moved suddenly  from  the  heart  of  the  city.  Undoubtedly  there 
were  desperate  spirits  that  regretted  any  pacification,  but  the  im- 
mense majority  of  respectable  citizens  shuddered  at  the  bare  idea 
of  an  insurrection.     To  such  the  intelligence  came  with  healing 


292  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


in  its  wings.  The  utmost  demanded  by  the  Opposition  was  now 
accorded  them. 

In  the  evening  I  was  in  one  of  the  pubhc  reading-rooms.  These 
are  found  in  all  parts  of  the  city.  All  are  fux-nished  with  the 
journals,  the  popular  works  of  French,  English,  German  and  Ital- 
ian authors  ;  and  some  with  the  standard  works  in  the  various  de- 
partments of  science  and  literature.  For  a  single  admission  you 
pay  about  three  cents,  which  entitles  you  to  read  as  long  as  you 
choose.  The  delightful  convenience  of  such  an  institution  in  a 
city  like  Paris,  always  filled  with  intelligent  strangers,  is  too  ob- 
vious to  need  comment. 

This  room,  in  the  quarter  of  the  schools,  was  always  thronged. 
It  consisted  of  three  large  saloons,  with  wide,  open  door-ways 
leading  into  each  other,  and  filled  with  long  tables,  upon  which 
were  French,  English,  and  German  journals;  while  the  walls 
were  covered  with  volumes,  arranged  upon  shelves.  It  was  bril- 
liantly lighted.  As  you  enter,  you  raise  your  chapeau  to  the  gen- 
tlemen, and  then  seat  yourself  at  will.  Waiters  are  ever  at  your 
elbow  awaiting  your  demands.  On  leaving,  you  call  at  the  desk, 
make  payment,  and  retouch  your  chapeau.  The  utmost  quietness 
ever  reigns,  and  a  good  degree  of  politeness  prevails  among  the 
devouring  readers. 

I  found  the  reading-room,  as  usual,  filled  with  hungry  seekers 
for  the  daily  news.  The  stillness  of  night  reigned,  and  no  ordi- 
nary incident  could  have  disturbed  the  order ;  but  an  evening  jour- 
nal having  arrived,  the  excitement  of  curiosity  to  swallow  its  con- 
tents, at  once  became  so  intense  as  to  break  through  all  restraint 
and  decorum.  Each  wishing  to  read  it  first,  a  scene  of  confusion 
took  place.  It  was  instantly  decided  that  one  should  read  aloud 
for  all ;  whereupon,  a  gentleman  mounting  upon  the  centre  of  a 
table,  read  the  account  of  the  resignation  of  the  Guizot  ministry, 


ALARM  IN  THE  NIGHT.  293 


the  formation  of  a  new  ministry  by  the  king,  with  Count  Mole  at 
its  head,  —  with  the  comments  of  the  editor.  The  reading  was 
spiced  with  a  due  quantity  of  gestures,  grimmaces,  shrugs  and 
ironic  explanations  by  the  reader,  while  the  audience  heightened 
the  amusement  of  the  scene  by  their  contributions  of  jeic  cfesprits. 

It  was  now  the  general  feeling  that  the  contention  was  at  an 
end ;  and  as  I  had  set  the  24th  for  my  departure,  I  proceeded  to 
make  arrangements  for  an  early  leave-  The  depot  of  the  railroad 
for  the  North,  was  at  the  northern  limit  of  the  city,  while  I  was 
residing  on  the  south  side  of  the  Seine.  The  several  coachmen  to 
whom  I  applied  for  a  carriage,  would  not  take  me  for  any  price, 
fearing  that  their  vehicles  would  be  arrested  and  converted  mto 
barricades. 

My  valises  packed,  hotel  bill  settled,  a  cordial  leave  of  Madame  D., 
and  a  douceur  for  her  maid,  I  threw  myself  upon  my  delightful  wool 
mattress  for  the  needed  refreshment  for  the  morrow's  journey. 

I  was  awakened  in  the  night  from  sound  slumber,  by  a  great 
noise  and  confusion  in  our  hotel.  A  general  panic  seemed  to  have 
seized  its  usually  quiet  inmates ;  and  the  different  parts  of  the 
house  were  resounding  with  hurried  footsteps,  slamming  of  doors, 
and  incoherent  voices.  A  moment's  attentive  listening,  however, 
persuaded  me  that  the  occasion  of  this  turbulent  excitation  was 
without  our  residence.  The  bells  of  the  city  were  breaking  the 
stillness  of  night  with  successive,  hurried  peals.  Quickly  moving 
lights  gleamed  across  my  window.  The  pavement  in  the  street 
below  reverberated  the  heavy  and  confused  tread  of  passing 
crowds;  while  the  wild  clashing  of  multitudinous  voices  near, 
drowning,  at  times,  some  distant  shout,  faintly  falling  upon  the 
ear,  lent  a  strange  and  fearful  animation  to  this  contemplated 
scene.  It  was  evident  that  some  unlooked-for  occurrence  had 
aroused  the  city.     But  as  there  was  neither  safety,  nor  prospect 

25* 


294  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


of  gratification  in  venturing  out,  it  was  better  quietly  to  await  re- 
sults. The  symptoms  of  alarm,  however,  soon  subsided,  and  I 
fell  again  into  slumber. 

I  subsequently  learned  tlie  occasion  of  the  wide-spread  tumult. 
The  intelligence  that  the  ministry  had  resigned,  had  carried  joy 
nearly  to  all  hearts.  The  sudden  removal  of  deep,  pressing  dread, 
had  given  an  elastic  bound  to  gladness.  The  city  was  par- 
tially illuminated.  The  suspended  fetes  and  amusements  shone 
forth  in  renewed  splendor.  A  large  column  of  reckless  spirits  of 
the  lower  order  of  the  populace,  carried  away  with  the  gene- 
ral enthusiasm,  and  perhaps  partially  intoxicated  with  success 
against  the  government,  traversed  the  streets  and  boulevards  in  a 
spirit  of  triumphal  exultation.  Immense  crowds  floated  along 
with  this  haggard  force,  in  which  was  enveloped  the  spark  of 
destiny.  A  red  flag  floated  in  the  smoke  of  their  torches,  and  a 
sinister  tone  was  apparent  in  their  animated  expression.  Arriv- 
ing in  front  of  the  hotel  of  Foreign  Affairs,  they  found  the 
boulevard  blocked  by  a  battalion  of  the  line,  ranged  in  battle  ar- 
ray, with  arms  charged,  and  the  commander  at  their  head.  The 
column  suddenly  halted  before  that  forest  of  bristling  bayonets. 
The  sight  of  the  red  flag,  and  the  glare  of  the  torches,  frightened 
the  horse  of  the  commander  so  that  he  reared,  and  rushed  toward 
the  battalion,  which  opened  to  envelop  its  chief.  In  the  confusion 
of  the  movement,  a  shot  was  heard.  Whether  it  escaped  from 
a  concealed  and  deadly  hand,  or  was  the  mere  result  of  accident, 
is  not  known ;  but  the  soldiers,  believing  themselves  attacked, 
levelled  their  muskets,  and  drew  upon  the  column.  A  stream  of 
momentary  flame  ran  along  the  line.  The  reverberation  from  the 
houses  and  street  shook  the  whole  boulevard.  The  column  from 
the  faubourgs  fell,  decimated  by  the  balls.  Death  shrieks,  and 
groans  from  the  wounded,  were  mingled  with  screams  of  fright 


DEPARTURE  FROM  PARIS.  295 


from  the  spectators,  and  from  women  and  children,  who  fled  in 
every  direction.  The  commander  of  the  troops,  deploring  the 
involuntary  massacre,  essayed  an  explanation  with  the  populace. 
The  latter,  gathering  in  carts  the  dead,  made  with  them  a  funeral 
procession  by  torch  light,  bi'eathing  revenge  on  the  Government  as 
the  authors  of  the  crime.  They  were  drawn  up  before  the  office 
of  the  National,  and  other  Opposition  journals,  displayed  in  gory 
revenge,  and  exciting  harangues  made  to  the  assembled  crowds. 
This  unlucky  incident  gave  new  impulse  to  the  revolution. 

DEPARTURE. 

The  fixed  intention  of  leaving,  awoke  me  early  in  the  morning. 
"With  vahses  packed  to  their  utmost  density,  I  was  quietly  let 
out  into  the  tranquil  morning  air,  by  the  attentive  maid,  who  in 
passing,  nodded  Monsieur  an  amiable  adieu.  The  air  was  bland, 
and  the  street  unoccupied,  and  perfectly  still.  It  was  the  repent- 
ant, pensive  face  of  nature,  immediately  after  the  destructive 
rage  of  a  tempest.  Passing  down  Rue  de  Seine,  and  around  the 
comer  of  the  venerable  Institute,  lines  of  soldiers  came  to  view 
on  the  quays  of  the  north  bank  of  the  Seine,  presenting 
drowsy,  haggard,  and  sorrowful  countenances.  They  had  evi- 
dently bivouacked  on  the  pavement.  In  Rue  St.  Dennis  the  pop- 
ulace began  to  be  a-stir ;  as  I  proceeded,  the  concourse  increased. 
They  were  of  the  working  classes,  men  and  women.  There  was 
nothing  of  deep  spite  or  deadly  hate  visible  upon  their  faces,  but 
a  kind  of  mortal  impatience,  an  indefinite  movement,  as  when  one 
would  act  without  finding  the  means  or  seeing  clearly  the  end.  I 
asked  a  woman  who  was  walking  by  my  side,  the  occasion  of  the 
incipient  demonstration.  She  replied,  that  the  new  Count  Mole 
ministry  gave  but  little  better  satisfaction  than  the  one  it  displaced ; 
and  the  sad  event  of  the  night  had  enkindled  and  emboldened 


296  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


anew  the  passions  of  tlie  populace.  I  trudged  along,  perspiring 
freely,  faint  from  want  of  breakfast,  but  sustained  by  the  anima- 
tion imparted  by  the  enkindling  scenes  around.  A  little  on,  a 
tall,  athletic,  determined-looking  man,  issued  from  a  lane,  and  with 
an  iron  bar  began  prying  up  the  pavmg  stones  for  a  barricade. 
He  was  immediately  joined  by  others  ;  and,  before  I  had  left  them 
out  of  sight,  the  pile  had  gained  quite  formidable  proportions.  A 
little  further  on,  a  large,  strong,  fierce-looking  man,  passed  in  cus- 
tody of  a  soldier  of  the  National  Guard.  He  walked  with  a 
lofty  and  defying  gait,  and  his  countenance  spoke  a  torrent  of 
power  dammed  up  within.  Some  half  a  dozen  men  stepped  to 
his  side,  and  offered  to  liberate  him,  —  but  for  some  reason  he  de- 
clined their  good  offices.  The  wide  and  beautiful  boulevard  of 
St.  Martin  and  St.  Dennis  presented  a  desolate  spectacle.  The 
beautiful  elms  that  lined  the  splendid  avenue,  had  been  cut  down 
for  barricades,  and  lay  promiscuously  strowed  with  omnibuses, 
coaches,  carts,  and  other  vehicles,  in  very  babel-like  confusion. 
Here,  a  double  hne  of  soldiers,  stretching  off  on  both  sides  of  me 
in  the  distance,  were  standing  in  mute  sadness.  As  I  approached, 
they  opened,  leaving  me  a  passage  just  wide  enough  to  squeeze 
through,  edge-wise.  At  another  cross-street  a  barricade  was  vig- 
orously being  formed.  They  usually  left  a  space  for  passers ;  but 
this  extended  quite  across  the  street.  A  woman  preceded  me. 
With  respectful  kindness  they  suspended  the  work,  and  helped  her 
to  scramble  over  it.  They  extended  the  same  favor  to  me.  Get- 
ting over  was  a  task  not  a  little  formidable  to  me,  exhausted  as  I 
was,  and  encumbered  with  luggage.  Another  barricade  of  huge 
dimensions,  formed  the  day  before,  forced  me  to  reach  the  depot 
by  a  circuitous  route,  in  which  I  was  aided  by  the  kind  politeness 
of  a  gentleman  who  persisted  in  accompanying  me  to  point  out 
the  way.     Several  times  before,  gentlemen  had  volunteered  and 


AN  ENGLISHMAN.  297 


urged  their  services  for  the  same  purpose ;  and  all  along  I  was 
shown  courteous  and  respectful  kindness  particularly  grateful  to 
the  feelings.  On  the  whole  route,  there  was  nothing  sinister  in 
the  expression  of  the  populace,  but  rather  a  fervent  elasticity  of 
feeling.  When  I  had  been  in  the  depot-building  but  a  few  mo- 
ments, a  stout-built  gentleman  enveloped  in  cloaks  and  furs,  ap- 
proached hurriedly,  and  rather  bluntly  accosted  me  in  French :  — 

"  When  does  the  first  train  for  the  North  leave,  sir  ?  " 

"  At  half-past  nine  o'clock,"  I  replied. 

"  Do  you  not  mistake  ?  " 

"  Not  unlikely,  but  I  am  just  from  the  ticket-office." 

"  How  long  have  you  been  in  Paris  ?  " 

"  Eiglit  weeks." 

"  Where  are  you  from  ?  " 

«  The  United  States." 

"  Then  you  speak  English  ?  " 

"  Undoubtedly." 

"  I  am  an  Englishman,"  he  resumed,  changing  to  his  native 
language,  "reside  in  Havre,  —  arrived  in  Paris  but  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  since,  and  am  now  making  the  most  of  the  time  to  get  out 
as  fast  as  possible  of  the  city  and  territory.  I  confess  the  hori- 
zon of  Paris  looks  a  little  too  lowering  to  suit  my  fancy  just  now." 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  we  were  travelling  companions  at 
once.  I  stepped  into  a  neighboring  cafe  for  a  cup  of  refreshing 
beverage  and  a  roll,  but  my  friend  would  not  venture  with  me. 
The  windows  of  the  saloon  were  closed  with  strong  shutters,  and 
all  the  doors  barred  except  a  private  entrance  from  behind.  A 
few  gentlemen  were  within,  quaffmg  their  coffee  in  hot  haste,  while 
the  waiters  were  running  to  and  fro  in  distracted  excitement.  A 
traveller  entered,  laden  with  baggage,  in  profuse  perspiration  and 
extreme  trepidation. 


298  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


"  When  will  the  omnibus  hne  pass  here  for ?  "  he  hurriedly 

demanded. 

'"  It  does  not  run,  now." 

"  Can  I  obtain  a  carriage  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,  not  at  any  price." 

«  What  shall  I  do  ?  " 

"  Don't  know,  sir." 

The  unfortunate  gentleman  threw  himself  into  a  chair  with  a 
look  of  unutterable  despair.  On  returning,  I  found  the  huge  iron 
door  leading  into  the  enclosure  of  the  depot  shut  and  bolted  ;  and 
it  was  only  after  much  explanation,  seconded  by  my  friend  within, 
that  I  was  permitted  to  repass.  They  had  closed  it  as  a  precau- 
tion of  safety.  My  companion  suggested  that  we  should  take  the 
half-past  eight  train,  wliich  stopped  at  Amiens,  and  there  await 
the  Brussels  train ;  "  for,"  he  added,  "  while  you  were  out,  I  ob- 
served some  trivial  movements,  which  make  me  more  willing  to  get 
away.  For  instance,  a  bloody-looking  chap  climbed  the  stone 
wall  before  my  eyes,  and  after  deliberately  laying  beside  him  a 
long,  gleaming  knife,  and  pistol,  pounded  off  the  wires  of  the  tel- 
egraph, and  then  descended.  He  looked  ripe  for  any  dreadful 
purpose."  I  was  myself  the  more  of  his  opinion  in  respect  to  mak- 
ing haste,  as  I  recollected  being  told  on  the  way  in  the  morn- 
ing, that  I  should  not  get  out  of  Paris  by  railroad,  as  the  rails 
had  been  taken  up  by  the  rioters,  to  prevent  the  ingress  of  sol- 
diers to  the  city,  —  a  report  which  convinced  me  that  at  least  that 
was  the  intention,  and  that  we  had  no  time  to  lose.  In  a  few 
moments,  accordingly,  we  were  breathing  the  morning  air  in 
the  country,  and  leaving  the  glittering  spires  of  the  magnificent 
city,  far  behind. 

There  was  in  the  same  carriage  with  us,  a  small  party  of  French 
gentlemen  and  ladies  leaving  the  city  for  safety.     They  were  in  a 


JOURNEY  TO  BRUSSELS.  299 


flood  of  emotion  in  view  of  the  uncertain  fate  of  their  friends  be- 
hind, and  of  their  own  fortunate  situation.  It  were  no  slight  task 
to  paint  the  phrenzied,  yet  graceful  grimteacing,  shrugging,  ges- 
ticulating of  these  amiable  fugitives,  as  each,  in  turn,  portrayed  the 
scenes  of  his  own  experience  for  the  last  few  days,  —  heightening 
the  picture  by  the  inimitable  French  tone  and  accent.  One  of 
the  ladies,  herself  melted  to  tears  from  the  tenderness  of  her  na- 
ture, described  with  such  exquisite  pathos  as  really  to  draw  deeply 
upon  our  sympathies. 

Excepting  the  slightly  sombre  tint  of  feeling  imparted  by  our 
companions,  we  were  in  the  most  delightful  frame  of  mind  imagi- 
nable. The  balmy  glow  of  the  morning  air,  the  exhilarating 
movement  on  our  easy  and  voluptuous  seat,  the  beautiful  and  di- 
versified landscape  continually  greeting  our  eyes  with  some  new 
charm,  roUing  by  like  a  pleasing  panorama,  added  to  a  grateful  re- 
lief from  anxiety  and  a  comfortable  feeling  of  security,  combined 
to  render  the  morning  ride  all  that  could  be  wished. 

We  sped  along,  touching,  among  other  smaller  places,  at  St. 
Dennis,  Enghien,  Ermont,  Franconville,  Herblay,  and  Pontoise. 
Wherever  we  stopped,  the  citizens  of  all  classes,  borne  away 
with  a  fever  of  excitement,  swarmed  around  the  cars,  and  liter- 
ally overwhelmed  us  with  interrogatories  touching  the  movements 
in  Paris.  At  Franconville,  an  aged  and  maimed  gentlemen  hob- 
bled towards  me,  and,  observing  that  I  spoke  English,  begged  that 
I  would  favor  him  with  the  news  from  Paris,  —  remarking  that 
his  French  was  so  much  at  fault,  that  he  never  spoke  that  lan- 
guage if  he  could  avoid  it.  lie  cordially  shook  my  hand  on 
leaving,  and  with  true  Englisli  li(i~iiit,ility  entreated  that  I  would 
make  him  a  visit,  should  I  ever  come  again  that  way.  He  had 
resided  thirty  years  in  France,  yet  his  heart  still  clung  to  the 
scenes  of  early  youth,  and  when  he  spoke  of  Ould  England,  the 


300  CRESTS  FROM  THE   OCEAN-WORLD. 

tears  actually  stood  in  his  eyes.  The  Americans,  he  said,  were 
next  to  the  English  —  "  God  bless  them  !  "  He  lingered  on  the 
platform  till  we  were  fast  receding  from  sight,  when  he  waived  us 
an  affectionate  adieu. 

On  we  galloped,  screaming,  snorting,  puffing,  by  hill  and  plateau 
variegated  with  verdure,  through  dale  and  glen,  and  woodland,  — 
passing  through  Auvers,  Isle- Adam,  Beaumont,  Precy,  Saint-Leu, 
to  Creil;  then  on  through  Campeigne,  Cleremont,  Breteuil,  to 
Amiens,  —  seventy-two  miles  from  Paris,  where  we  arrived  at 
half-past  twelve,  noon. 

The  next  train  would  pass  in  an  hour ;  barely  leaving  us  time 
to  swallow  a  dinner  at  a  restaurant,  and,  afterwards,  make  a 
glimpse-stroll  through  the  city.  The  meal,  which  was  despatched 
with  a  zest  known  only  to  hunger,  was  served  after  the  true 
Parisian  mode.  We  could  not  but  regret  the  want  of  time  to  ex- 
amine leisurely  the  notable  objects  of  the  place.  It  possesses 
more  than  one  attraction  for  the  traveller.  Situated  on  the  river  of 
the  same  name,  by  which  it  may  be  approached  by  flat-bottomed  ves- 
sels of  forty  or  fifty  tons,  it  is  the  centre  of  considerable  trade,  as 
well  in  its  own  productions,  as  in  those  of  the  surrounding  country. 
It  is  well  built ;  streets  for  the  most  part  straight  and  clean  ;  and 
it  has  some  fine  squares  and  promenades.  It  has  a  citadel,  con- 
structed by  Henry  IV. ;  an  academy  of  sciences  and  belle-lettres ; 
a  free-school  of  design ;  a  botanical  garden ;  a  library  of  forty 
thousand  volumes,  and  very  considerable  manufactures.  The  old 
Gothic  cathedral,  in  excellent  preservation,  is  one  of  the  finest  in 
Europe.  Amiens  is  very  ancient,  being  supposed  to  have  existed 
anterior  to  the  invasion  of  Belgium  by  the  Romans.  It  is  known 
in  diplomatic  history,  from  the  circumstance  of  a  definitive  treaty 
of  peace  between  England  and  the  French  Republic  having  been 
signed  in  it,  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  March,  1802.     It  is,  likewise, 


INTERIOR  OF  BELGIUM.  301 


the  birth-place  of  the  famous  Peter  the  Hermit,  the  apostle  of  the 
first  Crusade. 

We  were  at  the  depot  in  due  season ;  but  the  usual  hour  brought 
no  train  from  Paris.  "We  continued  to  tarry  impatiently  till  the 
hands  on  the  public  clock  had  indicated  two,  three,  even  half-past 
three  o'clock,  but  no  arrival. 

The  truth  now  dawned  upon  our  minds.  The  rails  had  been 
removed  from  the  track,  near  Paris,  a  few  moments  after  our  de- 
parture. My  Enghsh  companion,  in  a  kind  of  childish  ecstasy, 
now  congratulated  us  on  his  lucky  thought  to  take  the  half-past 
eight  instead  of  the  half-past  nine  o'clock  train  from  Paris.  We 
were  thus  saved  a  kind  of  imprisonment  in  the  capital,  the  more 
troublesome  from  the  uncertainty  of  its  duration,  and  the  ominous 
thickening  of  thriUing  events.  Our  slight  vexation  at  this  un- 
expected delay  was  soon  quieted,  however,  by  the  polite  Hber- 
ality  of  the  prompt  officials  of  the  railway  line,  who  readily 
brought  out  for  our  accommodation  an  extra  train,  in  which  they 
sent  us  on  our  way  rejoicing.  Here  I  was  left  to  miss  the  pres- 
ence for  the  rest  of  the  way,  of  my  English  acquaintance,  who, 
on  the  starting  of  the  cars,  rather  unceremoniously  slipped  me, 
and  joined,  in  another  carriage,  a  small,  lively  party  of  dashing 
young  beaux  and  belles,  all  fragrant  with  the  perfume  of  the 
toilette,  and  perfectly  radiant  with  inward  gaiety  and  joyousness. 
Less  confident  than  he,  I  withstood  the  temptation  to  follow,  and 
resumed  my  seat  amid  my  former  Paris  acquaintances,  who  com- 
pensated me,  in  part  at  least,  for  the  deprivation,  by  their  perfect 
kindness  and  free  communication. 

As  we  approached  the  interior  of  Belgium,  the  surface  of  the 
country  became  lower,  and  of  a  more  uniform  level.  Indeed,  ex- 
cept a  ramification  of  the  chain  of  tli(i  Ardennes,  extending  in  a 
north-east  direction,  through  Luxembourg,  Namur,  and  Liege,  and 
26 


302  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

another  off-shoot  of  the  Ardennes  running  parallel  with  this,  on 
the  north  banks  of  the  j|jambre  and  Meuse,  between  Mons  and 
Maestricht,  and  a  few  hilly  districts  in  the  south  and  east,  the 
whole  territory  presents  a  series  of  nearly  level  plains,  traversed 
by  numerous  streams,  delightfully  diversified  by  woods,  arable 
lands,  and  meadows  of  brilliant  verdure,  enclosed  by  hedge-rows, 
and  thickly  studded  throughout  with  towns  and  villages. 

It  is  well  known  that  much  of  the  fertile  and  cultivated  soil  of 
Belgium  has  been  redeemed  from  the  ocean,  or  from  the  stagnant 
■waters  of  the  rivers  by  which  it  is  intersected.  History  states 
that,  in  the  ages  immediately  preceding  and  subsequent  to,  the 
Christian  era,  much  of  the  great  plain  which  now  comprises  the 
provinces  of  W.  and  E.  Flanders  and  Antwerp,  was  partially 
overflowed  by  the  ocean.  The  soil  was  so  marshy  that  an  inun- 
dation or  a  tempest  threw  down  whole  forests,  such  as  are  still  dis- 
covered below  the  surface.  The  sea  and  rivers  had  no  limits, 
and  the  earth  no  solidity.  Many  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  low 
country  lived  in  huts  placed  upon  the  mounds  of  sand,  or  elevated 
above  the  reach  of  the  tides,  upon  stakes.  "  Your  kingdom,"  said 
Napoleon,  to  his  brother  Louis,  "  may  be  defined  the  deposit  of 
the  Rhine,  the  Meuse,  and  the  Scheldt,  the  great  arteries  of  my 
empire." 

As  we  bounded  gaily  along,  we  were  struck  with  the  picturesque 
costume  of  the  husbandmen  already  ui  the  fields  with  their  clumsy 
and  unique  implements,  preparing  for  the  summer's  crop.  The 
sio-ht  of  women  performing  the  agricultural  drudgery  of  beasts  of 
burden,  brought  a  thrill  of  gratitude  in  view  of  the  superior  con- 
dition of  my  own  countrywomen.  The  farms  were  for  the  most 
part  exceedingly  small,  from  five  to  twenty  acres  in  extent,  but 
cultivated  with  the  greatest  neatness  and  taste.  Nearly  a  fifth  of 
the  whole  surface  of  the  kingdom  is  covered  with  forests  and 


TREES  AND  FORESTS.  303 


woods ;  and  a  general  woody  appearance  is  given  even  to  the  most 
cultivated  parts  of  Belgium,  by  the  custom  of  planting  trees  in 
the  hedge  enclosures  of  the  fields.  The  principal  roads  are  also 
lined  by  double  rows  of  majestic  lindens,  and  the  canals  are 
usually  shaded  by  rows  of  poplars,  beeches,  and  willows.  All  the 
common  trees  of  Europe  abound.  The  forest  of  Soignies  is  asso- 
ciated with  the  memorable  battle  of  Waterloo.  A  thousand  acres 
of  this  was  owned  by  the  late  Duke  of  Wellington,  in  connection 
with  his  title  of  Prince  of  Waterloo.  The  romantic  forest  of  St. 
Hubert  is  Shakspeare's  "  Forest  of  Arden." 

Most  of  the  houses  in  the  smaller  villages  through  wliich  we 
passed,  were  built  of  red  brick,  with  thatched  or  tiled  roofs,  pro- 
ducing a  combination  of  the  gay  and  rural,  singularly  unique  and 
striking.  One  of  our  company,  pointing  to  the  fortifications  of  a 
small  town,  observed  to  me  that  it  was  an  interesting  feature  of 
the  smaller  towns  of  the  North  of  Europe.  There  are  twenty-one 
of  these  in  Belgium.  They  served  to  protect  in  a  measure  their 
citizens  from  the  ravages  of  the  numerous  wars  of  which  the 
country  has  been  the  doomed  theatre.  Indeed  this  beautiful  coun- 
try has  been  from  time  immemorial  the  battle  field  of  Europe. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

ARRIVAL  AT  BRUSSELS  —  OFFICIALS  —  INTENSE  EXCITEMENT  OP 
THE  CROWD  —  A  WORCESTER  GENTLEMAN  —  APPEARANCE  OP 
THE  CITY  —  LADY  OF  THE  AMERICAN  MINISTER  —  PALAIS  DU 
CONGRESS  —  CHAMBERS  OF  PARLIAMENT  —  BELGIUM  —  THEA- 
TRES—  YOUTHFUL  PERFORMERS — RESIGNATION  OF  LOUIS 
PHILLIPPE,  AND  FLIGHT  OF  THE  ROYAL  FAMILY — BOULE- 
VARDS AND  CAFES  —  SCHOOLS  —  HOTEL  DU  VILLE  —  PALACK 
OF    FINE    ARTS  —  CELEBRATED    PAINTERS. 

On  account  of  our  detention  at  Amiens,  it  was  late  in  the  eve- 
ning when  we  reached  Brussels.  The  news  of  the  revolution  of 
Paris  had  preceded  us,  and  we  were,  in  consequence,  surrounded 
by  people  on  landing,  eager  to  learn  the  latest  intelligence.  The 
officer  declining  to  inspect  my  baggage,  I  hastened  to  the  nearest 
hotel,  a  few  steps  from  the  depot.  Being  the  only  passenger  who 
stopped  at  this  hotel,  I  was  closely  surrounded,  on  entering,  and 
pressed  for  information.  Two  officials  from  the  Palace  of  Laer- 
kin,  coming  in,  the  crowd,  from  a  deference  shown  officers  in  mon- 
archical governments,  readily  yielded  a  small  space  around  me. 
These  dignitaries,  with  an  excited  manner,  questioned  me  minute- 
ly respecting  the  thrilling  and  astounding  events  that  were  trans- 
piring in  Paris  ;  and  after  thanking  me  for  my  complaisance,  took 
a  dignified  and  pohte  leave.  They  had  no  sooner  closed  the  door, 
when  the   crowd,  denser  than  before,  actually  pressed  full  upon 


AN  AMERICAN  GENTLEMAN.  305 


me,  and  with  intense  eagerness,  but  good  naturedly  expressed, 
clamored  for  news  from  Paris.  Questions  were  put  to  me  so  rap- 
idly, and  of  so  varied  import,  amid  such  confusion,  that  I  was  at 
last  overwhelmed,  exhausted,  and  could  say  nothing  more.  In 
this  dilemma,  I  observed  at  the  outer  edge  of  the  crowd  a  gentle- 
man something  like  half  a  head  taller  than  those  around  him,  vig- 
orously elbowing  his  way  toward  me.  His  erect  form  and  bold 
movement  showed  resoluteness,  while  his  countenance,  rendered 
French-like  by  an  elegant  moustache,  beamed  with  animation.  As 
soon  as  he  approached  within  hailing  distance,  his  voice  drowning 
all  others,  reached  my  ear,  assured  me  a  little,  and  thus  set  me  on 
the  track  of  answering  his  questions.  Presently,  however,  per- 
ceiving my  embarrassment  in  expressing  myself  readily,  he 
stopped  suddenly  short,  begged  to  know  how  long  I  was  in  Paris, 
and  what  country  I  was  from.  On  seizing  from  my  lips  the  name 
Boston,  he  burst  forth  in  a  tone  of  mingled  delight  and  astonish- 
ment, but  in  an  exclamation  a  little  iiTcverent,  " jjust 

where  I  am  from."     It  was  IMr.  G ,  of  Worcester,  who  had 

been  in  Europe  a  year  or  more,  —  and  who,  singular  to  say, 
lodged  while  in  Paris,  in  the  very  next  hotel  to  mine,  which  he 
left  but  a  few  days  before  the  memorable  2  2d  of  February, 
without  our  having  seen  each  other.  As  he  was  the  more  fluent  in 
French,  he  yielded  to  my  solicitation  to  become  my  interpreter  to 
the  news-devouring  throng.  Yet,  later  in  the  evening,  when  the 
crowd  had  fully  withdrawn,  Mr.  G.  and  myself  had  a  most  glo- 
rious tete-a-tete.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  it  was  long  past 
midnight  before  we  parted  to  retire.  None,  I  will  venture  to  say, 
but  those  who  have  experienced  it,  can  conceive  the  perfect  de- 
light felt  on  the  meeting  of  countrymen  in  a  foreign  land.  It 
centres  with  a  rush  upon  the  heart  all  the  dearest  associations  of 
home  and  country,  enkindling  it  to  a  glow  of  fraternal  enthusiasm 
2G* 


306  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


experienced,  indeed,  but  never  described.  Ceremony,  the  cold, 
dampening  cloud  which  envelops  character,  is  at  once  dissipated 
by  the  sunshine  of  the  beaming  soul,  and  the  best  feelings  of  our 
nature  appear  in  unreserve.  We  had  much  to  talk  over  of  what 
we  had  seen,  and  the  impressions  we  had  gathered  therefrom,  be- 
sides a  mutual  exchange  of  a  chapter  of  our  personal  history, 
as  well  as  making  sittings  of  persons  whom  we  happened  mutually 
to  know  m  the  U.  States ;  and  aU  this  was  done  with  the  frank- 
ness and  freedom  of  long  acquaintance,  though  we  had  not  known 
each  other  before  that  evening. 

Feb.  2bth.  Arose  early,  and  after  a  frugal  breakfast,  made 
alone  my  morning's  promenade  for  first  impressions  of  a  city 
which  I  had  for  a  long  time  yearned  to  visit.  I  found  it  not  very 
unlike  the  idea  I  had  formed  from  the  many  descriptions  I  had 
read.  A  large  portion  of  the  city  being  built  on  the  acclivity  of 
a  hill,  it  presents,  when  viewed  on  the  west,  a  picturesque  amphi- 
theatre of  houses ;  and  the  great  inequality  of  the  elevation  of  its 
site  has  often  induced  a  comparison  with  Naples  and  Genoa.  The 
figure  described  by  the  outline  of  it  resembles  that  of  a  pear,  the 
smaller  part  pointing  S.  S.  W.  A  century  ago  the  city  was  sur- 
rounded with  ramparts.  The  site  of  these  fortifications  has  been 
converted  into  spacious  boulevards,  planted  with  rows  of  stately 
linden  trees  that  encircle  two-thirds  of  the  city.  These  boulevards 
command  extensive  views  of  the  country,  and  afford  an  agreeable 
promenade.  The  scenery  of  the  adjacent  country  is  beautifully 
diversified  by  sloping  heights,  and  green  valleys  refreshed  by  the 
waters  of  the  Seune.  Many  of  the  streets  are  wide  and  regular, 
and  are  paved  generally  with  large  flint-stones.  The  ancient  part 
of  Brussels  is  ornamented  by  many  fine  specimens  of  the  florid 
style  of  architecture  ;  and  the  modern  part  exhibits  many  excel- 
lent buildings  erected  about  fifty  years  ago,  —  but  there  is  an  uni- 


LADY  OF  THE  AMERICAN  MINISTER.  307 


formity  in  the  appearance  of  the  dwelHng-houses  not  pleasing  to 
the  eye. 

After  a  breakfast  a  la  Francais,  I  passed,  in  company  with  Mr. 
G.,  to  pay  my  respects  to  the  American  Minister.  He  being  ab- 
sent, we  were  received  by  his  lady  in  a  manner  natural  only  to 
ladies  of  Southern  nativity,  who  have  enjoyed  large  intercourse 
with  elevated  society.  JMr.  G.  had  already  been  honored  with 
her  acquaintance,  and  the  conversation  between  them  immediately 
turned  upon  the  fine  arts  and  the  social  amenities  of  the  city. 
Madame  the  Minister  read  a  note  in  French,  which  had  been  in- 
trusted to  her  for  Mr.  G.,  with  pure  Parisian  accent. 

The  conversation  then  turned  upon  the  all-absorbing  topic  of 
the  day  —  the  insurrection  in  Paris ;  and  learning  that  I  was  just 
from  the  capital,  her  interest  in  the  subject  acquired  a  most  lively 
animation.  Her  voluble  tongue  seemed  as  conversant  with  Euro- 
pean politics,  as  with  the  intimate  affairs  of  court  circles.  In  al- 
lusion to  the  communication  being  intercepted,  by  the  removal  of 
the  rails  on  the  railway  near  Paris,  and  the  breaking  of  the  tel- 
egraph-wires, by  the  insurgents,  she  thought  that  railroads  and 
telegraph-wires  were  in  every  way  excellent  in  countries  where 
the  people  pulled  with  tlie  government,  but  that  these  modern 
glorious  improvements  often  proved  exceedingly  embarrassing  to 
reigning  powers  in  revolutions.  She  observed,  further,  that  many 
liberal  minded  and  right  hearted  people  in  Europe  would  gladly 
favor  a  general  revolution  for  free  institutions,  but  that  so  rotten 
did  they  consider  the  present  political  edifice,  as  not  to  dare  lay- 
ing violent  hands  on  it,  for  fear  of  hopelessly  burying  society  be- 
neath its  tottering  ruins.  She  was  perfectly  simple  in  her  man- 
ner, conversed  Avith  force,  point,  and  luminous  case,  and  expressed 
herself  in  French  with  precision,  and  an  almost  native  fluency 
and  grace.     She  was  a  little  below  the  medium  stature  of  Amer- 


308  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


ican  ladies,  of  rather  dark  complexion,  but  of  an  agreeable  coun- 
tenance, and  an  eye,  when  animated  in  conversation,  to  remind  you 
at  once  of  the  great  Southern  statesman,  John  C.  Calhoun,  of 
whom  she  is  a  daughter,  and,  I  doubt  not,  no  unworthy  represen- 
tative. There  was  standing  a  half  finished  portrait  in  an  adjoining 
room,  in  regard  to  which  she  incidentally  observed,  that  her  hus- 
band was  Avont  to  spend  some  of  his  leisure  hours  in  gratifying 
his  extreme  predilection  for  painting.  Lideed,  the  duties  of  an 
American  ambassador  at  Brussels  are  not  particularly  engrossing ; 
and  it  is  said,  with  good  reason,  that  there  is  no  foreign  embassy 
more  eligible,  either  in  regard  to  its  freedom  from  expense,  the 
leisure  it  affords,  or  the  agreeableness  of  society,  than  that  at 
Brussels. 

We  went  successively  to  the  Museum  and  to  the  office  of  the 
Minister  of  the  Interior,  who  is,  also,  the  Minister  of  Public  In- 
sti-uction,  but  found  them  closed.  At  the  Palais  du  Congres  we 
were  more  successful.  Here  we  gained  ready  admittance,  and 
found  the  two  branches  in  session.  They  appeared  decorous 
bodies,  and  deUberated  with  a  gravity  hardly  natural  to  the  Bel- 
gian manners.  The  edifice,  which  is  magnificent,  is  ornamented 
with  fluted  Doric  columns  and  appropriate  sculptures.  Marble 
stairs  on  each  side  of  a  spacious  hall  ascend  to  the  two  Chambers 
of  Parliament,  which  are  elegantly  fitted  up  for  the  reception  of 
Members.  The  public  are  admitted  into  both  chambers  during 
the  debates,  females  as  well  as  males ;  and  for  this  accommoda- 
tion, the  Chamber  of  Deputies  contains  a  capacious  gallery. 

Belgium  proclaimed  its  independence  in  1830.  It  is  goverfled 
by  a  constitutional  monarchy ;  and  the  whole  system  of  govern- 
ment is  based  upon  the  broadest  principles  of  rational  freedom 
and  liberality. 

At  dinner  we  were  joined  by  a  third  gentleman,  whose  acquaint- 


AN  INTERESTING  CHARACTER.  309 


ance  my  companion  had  accidentally  formed,  since  being  in  Brus- 
sels ;  and  finding  him  much  to  his  purpose,  was  not  unwilling  to 
continue  his  society,  which  he  did  by  an  occasional  invitation  to 
dine  with  him.  The  person  alluded  to,  though  evidently  pecu- 
niarily destitute,  had  the  manners  of  a  gentleman,  and  an  intelli- 
gence very  remarkable.  His  knowledge  of  men  and  things  was 
really  wonderful.  Hardly  a  place,  event,  or  person  of  distinc- 
tion, in  Europe,  could  be  mentioned,  but  that  he  could  describe 
readily  all  worth  knowing  about  it.  He  was  a  living  book  of 
Brussels.  Had  he  been  bom  with  the  city  itself,  and  had  free- 
dom and  leisure  ever  since  to  observe  its  growth  and  changes,  his 
information  could  scarcely  have  been  more  full  or  minute.  It  was 
rumored  that  he  had  once  been  very  wealthy,  was  highly  educated, 
and  was  an  amateur  in  the  various  departments  of  learning  and 
art,  —  but  having  lost  or  squandered  his  fortune,  was  now  eking 
out  a  living  in  the  only  way  consistent  with  his  taste  and  his  ideas 
of  honor.  But  be  that  as  it  may,  his  deportment  towards  us  was 
always  scrupulously  polite,  deferential  and  obliging,  without  the 
slightest  tint  of  servility.  I  could  not  but  observe  in  him  a  grave 
and  thoughtful  air,  from  which  no  excess  of  humor  on  our  part 
could  draw  him.  Similar  personages  are  frequently  to  be  met  with 
in  Europe.  They  linger  about  thoroughfares,  and  are  at  the 
service  of  travellers,  on  terms  quite  easy.  Some  such  I  had  met 
with  before,  but  never  one  altogether  of  so  elevated  respectability 
as  this. 

After  dinner,  at  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  gentleman  above 

named,  handed  Mr.  G a  pack  of  comi)limentary  tickets  to  one 

of  the  theatres.  They  required,  however,  a  trifling  sum  to  be  paid 
on  them,  to  make  them  current.  We  were  not  disposed  to  slight 
so  marked  an  invitation,  and  accordingly  set  out  in  lively  mood. 
We  found  the  building  not  at  all  imposing  in  appearance,  and  the 


310  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


interior  quite  humble,  but  neat  and  tasteful,  however.  The  first 
act  had  already  commenced.  It  was  a  kind  of  ballet  that  they 
were  performing.  Presently,  our  eyes  were  delightfully  greeted 
with  a  perfect  shower  of  dancing  girls,  which  half-filled  the  stage. 
They  might  have  been  from  eight  to  fifteen  years  of  age.  They 
were  tastefully  robed  in  white,  with  a  garland  of  flowers  for  head- 
dress, and  appeared  charmingly  pretty.  They  went  through  a 
series  of  dances  in  groups,  with  surprising  grace,  and  precision. 
The  wonder  to  us  was,  whence  issued  such  a  multitude  of  young 
girls.  Mr.  G.  ventured,  at  their  expense,  a  witticism  upon  their 
"ambiguous  origin,  but  the  scene  imparted  to  my  own  mind  some- 
thing of  a  melancholy  tinge. 

The  second  play,  entitled  the  Lesson  of  Love,  possessed  really 
several  good  points,  and  was  admirably  performed.  The  acting 
here,  as  in  Paris,  struck  me  as  vastly  superior  in  quality  to  any- 
thing of  the  kind  that  I  had  witnessed  in  the  United  States.  Here 
the  genius  of  the  stage  appeared  to  be  the  child  of  Nature  ;  while 
with  us  she  seems  rather  the  offspring  of  art.  The  scene  was 
followed  by  dancing  by  two  girls,  perhaps  twelve  years  of  age. 
They  came  bounding  gracefully  in  upon  the  stage,  captivating  our 
senses  by  their  tasteful  dress,  exquisite  form,  and  fairy  move- 
ments, while  their  delicately  modest  demeanor  won  deeply  upon 
our  esteem.  Their  intricate  evolutions  and  difficult  steps  often 
thrilled  me  with  admiration  ;  and  they  more  than  once  carried 
surprise  to  the  entire  audience,  bringing  down  the  whole  house 
with  a  perfect  rapture  of  applause.  They  seemed  gently  to  vie 
with  each  other  in  winning  the  admiration  of  the  audience,  and  so 
equally  balanced  was  their  excellence,  that  Mr.  G.  and  myself 
could  not  decide  upon  which  to  award  our  preference.  Just  as 
we  had  decided  upon  one,  the  other,  by  some  surpassing  feat  of 
grace,  would  wrest  the  palm  from  her  fan-  rival.    These  girls  wei*e 


ABDICATION  OF  LOUIS  PHILLIPPE.  311 


doubtless  inferior  to  Taglioni,  and  kindred  stars,  their  limbs  not 
having  attained  the  firmness  for  long  sustained  effort;  but  we 
could  not  but  pronounce  them  very  promising  candidates  for  the 
world's  applause.  To  me,  the  simple  innocence  of  their  youth  in- 
vested them  with  a  charm  not  found  with  other  dancers, 

Feb.  2^th.  Long  before  daylight  I  was  suddenly  aroused  from 
a  sweet  slumber,  by  loud  raps  at  my  door  from  Mr.  G.,  who  in  a 
deep  fervor  of  excitement  communicated  the  astounding  intelli- 
gence from  Paris,  of  the  resignation  of  Louis  Phillippe,  the  flight 
of  the  royal  family,  the  proclamation  of  the  Provisional  Govern- 
ment, with  Laraartine  at  the  head,  the  sacking  of  the  Tuileries 
by  the  mob,  and  other  thrilling  events.  The  news  ran  through 
the  city  like  wild-fire,  producing  in  all  minds  an  electric  shock  of 
emotion.  Those  who  remember  the  startling  effect  the  intelli- 
gence first  produced  upon  the  American  public,  separated  from 
the  grand  scene  by  three  thousand  miles  of  ocean,  can  faintly  ima- 
gine the  impression  made  in  Brussels,  the  capital  of  a  border- 
ing state,  closely  allied  to  France  by  an  identity  of  interest  and 
feeling.  The  queen,  then  residing  in  the  city,  was  the  daughter 
of  Louis  Phillippe.  The  language  of  all  tlie  better  classes  is 
French.  All  the  best  French  works,  in  every  department  of 
science  and  literature,  are  reprinted  in  Brussels  with  equal  neat- 
ness and  accuracy,  nearly  as  soon  as  they  api)ear  in  Paris.  Paris 
and  the  Parisians  are  the  models  which  the  people  of  Brussels  are 
ambitious  to  imitate.  There  is  an  anxious  observance  of  French 
manners  and  fashions  among  the  wealthy  classes.  The  grand 
features  of  Paris,  namely,  its  circumambient  boulevards,  its  splen- 
did cafes,  its  palace  garden,  its  grand  theatre  for  the  operatic 
drama,  and  the  smaller  one  for  Vaudervilles,  and  many  other  sim- 
ilar points,  find  faithful  copies  in  Brussels,  and  have  gained  it  the 
significant  appellation  of  "  Paris  in  miniature."    It  is  not  surpris- 


312  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

ing,  then,  that  the  intelligence  from  Paris  should  have  produced  a 
fermentation  in  all  minds ;  for  with  some  reason  it  was  feared 
that  a  revolution  in  Paris  might  be  a  revolution  in  Brussels,  if  not 
a  continental  insurrection. 

I  called,  after  breakfast,  upon  M.  Boeuf,  the  Minister  of  the  In- 
terior, for  information  in  respect  to  the  schools.  He  received  me 
cordially,  and  complied  with  my  wish  with  the  utmost  readiness, 
—  appearing  gratified  at  the  opportunity  of  making  me  acquainted 
with  their  system  of  instruction,  and  evincing  an  emotion  of  pride  in 
view  of  the  Belgian  schools  as  standing  among  the  first,  if  not  them- 
selves the  very  first  in  point  of  excellence,  in  Europe.  He  under- 
took to  draw  up  for  me  on  the  spot  a  list  of  the  schools  and  literary 
institutions  that  I  should  inspect,  in  order  to  understand  fully  the 
scope  and  character  of  their  system.  In  doing  this,  he  evinced  so 
great  trepidation,  frequently  leaving  off  and  pacing  the  room  in 
uncontrollable  mental  excitement,  that  I  ventured  to  ask  the  cause 
of  his  agitation.  He  frankly  owned  that  the  news  fi-om  Paris  had 
completely  unstrung  his  nervous  system^. 

His  office  was  in  the  quaint  old  Hotel  de  Ville,  in  the  grand 
place,  or  central  market  place.  It  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most 
remarkable  of  those  civic  palaces,  in  the  florid  Gothic  style,  that 
are  to  be  seen  in  perfection  only  in  the  Netherlands.  It  was 
erected  in  1400.  The  architecture  is  Lombardo- Gothic, 
with  a  great  profusion  of  quaint  sculptures,  pointed  turrets, 
and  other  fanciful  and  intricate  ornaments.  In  the  front  are  forty 
windows,  and  in  the  lofty  sloping  roof,  eighty  more.  At  a  point 
remarkably  distant  from  the  centre  of  the  front,  an  elaborately 
ornamented  pyramidal  tower,  open  throughout  to  the  summit,  rises 
to  the  height  of  three  hundred  and  sixty-four  feet,  and  commands 
a  fine  view  of  the  surrounding  country,  including  the  battle  field 
of  Waterloo.     It  is  surmounted  by  a  colossal  copper  gilt  statue, 


PALACE  OF  FIXE  ARTS.  31 J 


seventeen  feet  high,  of  St.  Michael  crushing  a  dragon,  which 
turns  about  to  serve  for  a  weather-cock.  The  interior  of  the 
building  is  entered  by  a  spacious  flight  of  steps,  and  the  lofty  haUg 
and  saloons  exhibit  many  curious  old  paintings,  gilded  carvings, 
and  specimens  of  fine  tapestry. 

During  the  day,  Mr.  G.  and  myself  made  a  visit  in  company 
to  the  Palace  of  Fine  Arts.  "We  first  looked  in  at  the  gallery  of 
paintings.  The  collection  comprises  about  five  hundred,  by  the 
great  Flemish  masters  from  Van  Eyck  to  Reubens  and  his  nume- 
rous pupils.  It  was  indeed  a  rich  treat,  —  those  sublime  mortal 
productions.  I  stole  there  ever  afterwards,  whenever  an  hour  of 
leisure  afforded  me  an  opportunity,  and  lingered  spell-bound  with 
delight.  Mr.  G.,  who  evinced  a  peevish  fastidiousness  upon 
French  and  Belgian  matters  in  general,  was  glowing  in  his  admi- 
ration of  many  of  the  paintings.  We  were  both  struck  with  a 
head  by  Rembrandt.  It  is  an  old  painting,  but  the  features  were 
as  soft  and  fresh  as  life  itself.  The  light  frizzled  hair  stood  so 
mellowingly  out  from  the  canvas,  that  you  were  tempted  to  run 
your  fingers  through  it.  I  gazed  often  and  long  upon  a  Descent 
from  the  Cross,  by  Vandyke.  The  agonized  features  of  the 
dead  Saviour,  and  the  painted  anguish  of  Mary  at  his  feet,  were 
rendered  with  a  deep  truthfulness.  There  were  several  large 
paintings  by  Reubens,  which  strikingly  illustrate  the  grandeur  of 
his  genius.  The  canvas  is  crowded  with  figures  thrown  into  all 
possible  attitudes,  but  so  natural,  that  the  most  careful  study  of 
each  reveals  no  fault.  There  is,  also,  a  boldness  and  ease  in  the 
drawing,  a  strength  and  firmness  in  delineation,  and  brilliancy  and 
contract  in  coloring,  which  impart  life  and  majesty  to  the  picture. 
The  paintings  bore,  too,  the  apparent  negligence  of  great  genius. 
They  appeared  as  if  executed  in  extreme  haste,  some  of  them  look- 
ing as  if  scarcely  finished.  A  heel,  for  instance,  which  at  a  distance 
27 


314  CEESTS  FEOM  THE  OCEAN-WOKLD. 


became  symmetrical  with  the  body,  when  examined  near,  looked 
as  if  made  with  the  single  daub  of  the  brush.  It  required,  how- 
ever, little  attention  to  perceive  that  the  surpassing  excellences 
of  Reubens  are  accompanied  with  striking  faults ;  one  of  wliich  is 
that  of  Avomen  without  beauty  or  grace.  The  female  faces  all 
resemble  each  other,  and  bear  almost  a  vicious  expression. 

Belgium  has  had  the  rare  honor  of  producing  two  diiFerent 
schools  of  painting.  The  first  arose  under  Hubert  and  John  Van 
Eyck,  or  John  of  Bruges,  about  the  year  1440.  The  ruling 
spirits  of  the  second  school,  were  Reubens  and  his  pupil  Vandyke, 
who  flourished  about  1600.  At  the  present  time,  the  Royal 
Academy  of  Fine  Arts  at  Antwerp  is  the  principal  school  of 
painting,  and  it  produces  every  year  several  artists  of  the  highest 
distinction.  It  is  supported  by  the  public,  and  is  usually  attended 
by  at  least  a  thousand  students. 

Brussels  possesses  a  Royal  establishment  for  lithography,  and 
an  excellent  school  for  engraving,  where  designing  is  taught,  and 
the  different  kinds  of  engraving  on  copper  and  wood. 

From  the  Gallery  of  Paintings,  we  passed  into  the  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  surpassing  in  extent  every  other  in  the  kingdom. 
The  departments  of  Zoology,  Ornithology,  Entomology,  and  Min- 
eralogy are  especially  replete  with  rare  and  admirable  specimens, 
including  animals  from  the  Dutch  East  Indian  Colonies,  Russian 
minerals,  and  all  the  volcanic  products  of  Mount  Vesuvius. 

We  next  walked  through  the  great  public  library  in  another 
part  of  the  edifice.  It  contains  nearly  140,000  volumes,  and 
15,000  manuscripts.  The  latter  were  collected  at  a  very  early 
period,  by  the  dukes  of  Burgundy,  and  are  esteemed  of  great 
value ;  many  being  richly  adorned  with  miniature  paintings  of 
exquisite  beauty,  by  the  early  Flemish  artists ;  and  the  greater 


PUBLIC  LIBRARY.  315 


part  are  splendidly  bound  in  crimson  morocco.  Above  two  thou- 
sand volumes  of  the  books  were  printed  in  the  fifteenth  century. 

This  spacious  building  serves,  also,  for  public  lectures,  which 
are  delivered  gratuitously  every  day  by  the  most  eminent  profes- 
sors, on  the  various  branches  of  learning. 

On  my  return,  I  found  at  my  lodgings  a  spacious  envelope,  with 
the  broad  seal  of  the  State,  displaying  the  Belgique  Lion,  —  en- 
closing two  handsome  letters  of  introduction  to  the  Principals  of 
the  Norman  Schools  at  Liege  and  Nevelles. 


CHAPTER     XXIII. 

SYMPTOMS  OF  REVOLUTION  IN  BELGIUM  —  COMMUNAL  SCHOOLS  — 
CATHEDRAL  OF  GUDULE  —  RELIGIOUS  SECTS  —  LAMARTINE  — 
MARRIAGE,  IN  EUROPE  AND  THE  UNITED  STATES  —  ACADEMIES 
—  BOTANIC  GARDEN  —  INFLUENCE  OP  LAMARTINE  —  CARNIVAL 
HERO-WORSHIP — SHOPPING  —  CARPET  AND  LACE  FACTORIES. 

Feb.  'idith.  I  was  slightly  disturbed  the  last  night  by  a  turmoil 
in  the  square  under  my  window.  I  was  afterwards  told  that  it 
was  an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  get  up  an  emute  after  the  style  in 
Paris.  The  whole  affair,  however,  was  promptly  quashed  by  the 
government-police,  who  had,  from  the  first,  exercised  the  utmost 
vigilance.  Ordinances  were  posted  at  every  corner,  forbidding, 
among  other  things,  the  assembling  of  more  than  five  persons  at 
the  same  place.  The  police  last  evening  closed  the  doors  of  one 
of  the  principal  theatres,  on  the  pretext  that  the  play  contained 
some  passages  of  a  seditious  nature.  The  excitement  was  very 
great  in  the  city ;  still,  the  most  enlightened  minds  did  not  think 
there  could  be  a  revolution  in  Belgium.  There  was  but  little  to 
reform  in  the  minds  of  the  people.  The  masses  of  the  nation 
were  contented  and  happy.  The  government  was  strong,  and  the 
king  enthroned  in  the  hearts  of  his  subjects  generally.  By  one 
of  those  happy  movements  which  frequently  give  a  favorable  turn 
to  the  current  of  fortune,  he  forestalled  any  discontents  of  the 
populace.  Calling  around  him  his  ministers,  he  formally  announced 
to  them,  that  he  would  not  have  a  drop  of  blood  spilled  for  him, 


PRIMARY  SCHOOLS.  317 


—  if  the  nation  desired  his  abdication,  he  was  ready  to  tender 
them  his  crown ;  but  if  they  should  choose  to  adhere  to  his  reign, 
he  would  lead  their  armies  in  person  wherever  it  should  be  neces- 
sary, —  ready  at  any  time  to  lay  down  his  life  for  his  country. 
Both  branches  of  the  legislature  promptly  replied  to  this  generous 
resolution  of  the  king,  assuring  him  of  their  warm  and  unanimous 
adhesion  ;  and  when  it  was  spread  on  the  wings  of  the  press  through 
the  country,  the  heart  of  the  nation  responded  by  petitions  nume- 
rously signed  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  begging  him  to  accept 
their  devotion  and  sympathy. 

I  visited,  to-day,  one  of  the  city  primary  schools.  The  director 
at  first  stated  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  obtain  a  written  per- 
mit from  the  minister.  On  presenting  my  letter,  he  cordially  in- 
vited me  in,  giving  me  politely  and  readily  all  the  intelligence  I 
desired.  The  school  was  composed  of  eight  hundi'ed  day  schol- 
ars, and  three  hundred  evening  scholars.  They  are  separated 
into  divisions  of  one  hundred,  each  of  which  occupies  a  separate 
apartment.  To  each  division  there  is  a  master  and  an  assistant. 
The  boys,  who  are  kept  separate  from  the  girls,  are  taught  by 
males,  and  the  girls  by  females.  The  superintendent,  who  had 
enjoyed  large  experience  as  a  practical  educator,  who  had  travel- 
led in  the  German  States,  and  had  read  much  and  written  upon 
the  subject  of  education,  was  decidedly  of  opinion,  that  schools 
taught  by  men  are  superior  to  such  as  are  instructed  by  women. 
He  stated,  on  his  personal  knowledge,  that  the  experiment  had 
been  made  on  a  large  scale,  under  fair  circumstances,  —  and  the 
result  proved,  that  while  women  of  high  intellectual  character  and 
strong  energy  may  do  for  girls  and  small  boys,  only  male  teachers 
can  be  employed  to  the  greatest  advantage  for  lads  and  young 
men.  So  far  as  I  could  learn,  a  similar  opinion  prevails  among 
educationists  in  Germany,  England,  and  France.  The  rooms  here 
27* 


318  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


were  commodious  and  well  ventillated  by  means  of  the  windows. 
The  forms,  or  benches,  were  long  enough  for  several  pupils,  and 
provided  with  inkstands.  Some  of  them  had  slates  set  into  the 
tops  of  the  forms.  Every  room  was  supplied  with  outline  maps, 
and  a  table  of  weights  and  measures.  The  black-boards  were  ar- 
ranged to  slide  up  and  down  in  a  case,  very  conveniently.  The 
alphabet  was  taught  from  little  blocks  with  the  letters  painted 
upon  them,  ingeniously  arranged  in  a  case,  before  which  the  class 
stood  at  recitation.  A  novel  apparatus  was  pointed  out  to  me,  for 
teaching  pupils  to  count.  I  witnessed  a  most  gratifying  exercise 
of  a  class  of  pupils  about  seven  years  of  age,  who  wrote  readily, 
and  generally  with  correctness,  sentences  on  the  black-board,  as 
they  were  dictated  to  them  by  the  teacher,  who  assured  me  that 
they  all  commenced  learning  the  alphabet  but  three  months  be- 
fore. It  should  be  observed,  however,  that  the  orthography  of 
the  French  is  more  regular  than  that  of  the  English.  All  the 
pupils  were  carefully  instructed  both  in  French  and  Flemish. 
The  boys  are  taught  drawing,  the  girls,  needlework  and  embroid- 
ery. The  materials  and  text-books  are  furnished  by  the  city  ;  and 
the  articles  of  fabrication  are  distributed  among  the  more  deserv- 
ing scholars.  The  order  of  the  school  was  good.  All  corporal 
pimishment  was  forbidden  by  law.  A  register  of  deportment, 
scholarship,  and  absence,  was  kept  with  exactitude,  and  exposed 
to  public  examination.  The  doors  of  the  school-room  were  closed 
precisely  at  the  time  of  the  commencement  of  the  school,  and  no 
pupil  admitted  after  that  hour.  The  best  teachex's  received  about 
four  hundred  dollars  per  annum.  In  addition  to  the  salary,  they 
usually  have  a  room  at  the  school-building  furnished  with  lights 
and  fuel.  Provision  is  also  made  for  the  sickness  or  old  age  of 
teachers,  and  for  their  families  after  their  decease.  The  director, 
who  had  been  a  long  time  connected  with  the  schools  of  the  city, 


HIGH  POSTAGE.  319 


informed  me  that  I  was  the  first  American,  to  his  knowledge,  who 
had  actually  inspected  their  schools. 

March  \st.  For  franking  a  single  letter  as  far  as  England, 
they  chai-ged  me  to-day  at  the  post-office,  thirty-nine  cents  !  At 
that  rate,  all  travellers  would  be  sincere  in  wishing  a  revision  of 
the  postal  laws  of  Belgium. 

Took  a  final  leave,  to-day,  of  INIr.  G.,  who  was  to  set  oiF  imme- 
diately for  Paris,  to  witness  the  scenes  of  the  thrilling  drama 
being  enacted  there.  His  curiosity  and  adventurous  spirit  had 
become  wrought  up  to  the  highest  pitch,  and  he  was  often  mur- 
muring at  his  ill-luck  for  having  missed  seeing  the  entire  affair. 
To  leave  Europe  without  having  had  a  personal  view  of  the  rev- 
olution, and  having  tasted  the  stirring  emotions  of  the  rapid  events 
of  the  great  capital,  would  be  indeed  a  misfortune.  He  therefore 
left  in  a  great  excitement  of  interest,  intending  to  go  on  the  rail- 
road to  the  break,  and  then  trust  to  his  energy  and  fortune  to 
reach  and  enter  the  capital.  This  spirit  of  heroic  enterprise  shone 
in  marked  contrast  with  the  effeminate  temerity  of  a  young  Paris- 
ian gentleman  who  chanced  to  be  sitting  near  us  at  table  at  dinner 
the  day  before.  The  conversation  naturally  turning  upon  the 
present  revolution  in  Paris,  he  stated  that  his  wife  and  two  chil- 
dren were  in  Paris,  for  whose  safety  he  expressed  deep  solicitude, 
but  did  not  hesitate  to  declare  that  the  danger  was  too  great  to 
think  of  going  there  after  them. 

Going  homewai-d,  I  stepped  into  an  estaminet  for  a  lunch.  The 
garr-on  not  comprehending  exactly  my  demand,  his  hesitancy  was 
relieved  by  a  young  gentleman  near  me,  partaking  of  a  frugal  col- 
lation. He  was  enveloped  in  a  rather  pedantic-looking  cloak,  but 
possessed  an  intelligent  and  agreeable  countenance.  This  incident 
led  to  an  intimate  acquaintance  between  us  of  decided  mutual  ad- 
vantage.   He  proved  to  be  a  Belgian  by  birth,  but  had  resided 


320  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


sufficiently  long  in  Germany  and  France  to  speak  the  languages 
of  those  countries  with  purity  and  ease.  He  was  now  ardently 
employing  his  leisure  moments  in  the  acquisition  of  the  English, 
which  he  already  read  quite  well,  and  could  even  speak  with  re- 
markable accuracy  and  correctness  of  pronunciation.  He  was 
employed  as  clerk  in  an  extensive  silk  store,  and  spent  a  part 
of  his  evenings  in  insti-ucting  a  small  class  of  young  ladies  in 
the  German  language, —  one  of  them  the  daughter  of  his  em- 
ployer. To  my  inquiries  for  learning  the  secret  of  his  great  suc- 
cess in  acquiring  languages,  he  observed  that  he  owed  much  to 
two  principles  to  which  he  rigidly  adhered.  One  was,  to  master 
if  possible  every  point  as  he  came  to  it,  and  the  other,  to  retain 
fully  whatever  he  learned.  He  was  in  the  practice  of  making  a 
note  of  all  difficult  idioms  and  new  words,  as  he  met  with  them  in 
reading,  putting  the  list  in  his  pocket,  and  recurring  to  it  sufficient- 
ly often  to  indelibly  impress  the  whole  upon  his  mind.  We  struck 
up  immediately  an  arrangement  by  which  he  met  with  me  daily 
in  my  room.  We  there  spent  an  hour  in  conversation,  and  then 
made  a  stroll  through  the  city,  he  expressing  himself  always  in 
English,  and  I  in  French.  So  great  was  his  desire  to  visit  the 
U.  States,  that  he  assured  me  of  his  intention  of  making  the  tour 
as  soon  as  he  could  honorably  disengage  himself  from  his  em- 
ployer. But  since  he  has  not,  to  my  knowledge,  fulfilled  this  de- 
sign, I  am  more  than  half  led  to  suspect  the  influence  of  some 
gentle  treachery  among  the  members  of  his  very  beautiful  class. 

March  2d.  Weather  moist  and  fitful,  as  usual  at  this  season. 
At  one  moment,  the  sun  smiling  gladsomely  through  the  bursting 
clouds  ;  at  the  next,  the  streets  being  drenched  with  rain.  It  were 
not  safe  to  leave  your  hotel  without  an  umbrella,  however  serene 
might  be  the  sky. 

In  the  afternoon  I  visited  another  of  the  Communal  schools. 


COMMUNAL  SCHOOLS.  321 


As  before,  the  director  gravely  asked  me  for  my  permit.  On  pre- 
senting it,  his  scruples  readily  gave  way,  and  he  most  kindly  showed 
me  over  the  school.  It  did  not  differ  materially  from  the  one  pre- 
viously visited,  except  that  the  order  was  quite  indifferent.  Tliis 
teacher  was  of  the  same  opinion  as  the  director  of  the  school 
before-mentioned,  in  respect  to  the  comparative  merits  of  male 
and  female  teachers.  Music  was  generally  taught  in  the  school ; 
and  I  witnessed  an  exercise  with  very  young  pupils  which  I 
thouo-ht  highly  creditable  to  their  musical  powers  and  to  the  skill 
of  the  teachers.  My  conductor  himself  did  not  fail  to  commend 
warmly  the  excellence  of  parts  of  the  school,  and  showed  very 
significantly  that  he  expected  that  I  should  do  the  same;  —  no  un- 
common way  of  challenging  admiration !  I  observed  here  and 
elsewhere,  in  Belgium,  the  pronunciation  of  the  French  c  mute, 
to  be  more  open  than  the  sound  given  the  same  letter  in 
Paris.  The  power  of  the  letter  prevailing  in  Brussels  differs  not 
widely  from  the  way  it  is  represented  in  Bolmar's  Levizac's 
Grammar,  which,  by  the  way,  is  not  the  true  Paris  pronun- 
ciation. 

I  afterwards  looked  into  a  girl's  school.  It,  like  most  of  the 
schools  of  the  same  class,  was  conducted  by  the  Sisters  of  Charity 
—  a  fraternity  resembling  in  di-ess,  manners,  and  meekness  of 
spirit,  the  Friends.  Their  benevolence  and  devotion  are  proverbial. 
They  either  receive  no  compensation  for  tlieir  arduous  services,  or 
the  merest  pittance,  just  to  suffice  their  simple  needs.  If  any  class 
on  earth  seem  imbued  thoroughly  with  a  Christian  and  humane 
spirit,  it  is  the  Sisters  of  Charity.  Tiieir  life-deeds  best  bespeak 
their  eulogy, —  but  their  humane  expression,  also,  gives  clear  evi- 
dence of  a  consecrated  heart.  The  pupils  are  taught  the  common 
branches,  in  which  they  gave  evidence  of  having  been  well 
instructed.     A  division  of  the  school  were  taught  embroidery,  and 


322  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


various  kinds  of  more  common  handicraft,  and  the  specimens  of 
their  work  shown  me  were  neat  and  beautifuL  This  branch  of 
female  industry  is  more  commonly  practised  in  the  European 
schools,  than  with  us.  The  under-directress  of  the  establishment 
received  me  with  an  air  of  unaffected  politeness ;  and  without  re- 
quiring a  letter  of  introduction,  as  did  the  former  teachers,  took 
me  leisurely  and  kindly  over  the  establishment.  The  rooms  and 
interior  arrangement  were  neat  and  comfortable,  but  plain  and 
useful,  —  nothing  expended  for  mere  ornament.  All  the  girls 
were  taught  sewing,  both  the  fine  and  the  coarser  styles ;  and 
some  specimens  were  shown  nie  that  I  thought  would  have  done 
credit  to  the  skill  of  a  practised  seamstress. 

March  3d.  Sauntered  out  with  the  view  to  continue  my  re- 
searches in  the  public  schools  ;  but  it  being  Thursday  afternoon, 
—  in  conformity  with  the  usage,  a  conge,  or  afternoon-holiday,  had 
emptied  the  rooms  of  their  contents  of  youthful  life.  At  the 
Palace  of  Arts  and  Industry  I  learned  that  there  is  no  machine 
in  Belgium,  —  and  I  had  previously  learned  that  there  is  none  in 
France, — for  knitting  seines,  or  nets.  The  immense  quantity  con- 
tinually needed  must  still  be  all  knit  in  the  old  way,  by  hand.  My 
young  friend,  in  Massachusetts,  who  has  labored  for  years,  so  per- 
severingly  in  inventing  a  machine  for  knitting  seines,  may  be 
cheered  with  the  assurance  that,  if  he  succeeds  in  his  undertaking, 
he  will  thereby  not  only  confer  a  lasting  benefit  to  human  industry, 
but  gain  a  name  among  the  distinguished,  and  a  comfortable 
fortune. 

I  afterwards  looked  into  the  cathedral  of  St.  Gudule,  the  largest 
and  finest  in  Brussels.  It  was  founded  1010 ;  and  here  the  first 
chapter  of  the  chivalric  order  of  the  Golden  Fleece  was  held  by 
Phillip  le  Bon,  in  1435.  There  is  an  aspect  of  imposing  gran- 
deur in  its  spacious  front,  that  impresses  profoundly  the  mind  of 


CATHEDRAL  OF  GUDULE.  323 


the  beholder.  The  church  is  surmounted  by  two  large,  square 
towers,  from  the  top  of  which  Antwerp  is  distinctly  visible  at  a 
distance  of  twenty-seven  miles.  One  of  these  contains  a  bell  that 
weighs  1435  pounds.  In  the  interior,  against  the  pillars  which  di- 
vide the  lateral  aisles  from  the  nave,  and  support  the  lofty  roof, 
are  placed  finely  sculptured  statues  of  the  twelve  apostles,  ten 
feet  in  height,  at  an  elevation  of  twenty-five  feet  from  the  floor. 
The  pulpit  is  certainly  curious  and  striking.  It  is  formed  of 
wonderfully  carved  groups  of  figures  the  size  of  life,  representing 
the  expulsion  of  Adam  and  Eve  from  Paradise.  The  glass  of 
the  principal  window  displays  a  magnificent  representation  of  the 
last  judgment,  by  the  celebrated  Flemish  painter,  Francis  Flors ; 
and  several  other  antique-painted  windows  of  this  noble  cathedral 
are  exceedingly  brilliant  and  beautiful.  Its  altars  and  sumptuous 
mausoleums  of  sculptured  marble,  and  numerous  fine  paintings, 
are  objects  worthy  of  especial  note.  The  organ,  too,  is  remark- 
able for  the  depth  and  power  of  its  intonations  and  perfect  unison ; 
but  that  which  most  attracts  a  curious  spectator  is  one  of  the  side 
chapels  —  a  large  and  splendidly  ornamented  oratory  —  called 
St.  Sacrament  des  Miracles,  from  its  being  the  sanctuary  in  which 
are  preserved  three  miraculous  consecrated  wafers,  said  to  have 
been  stolen  by  Jews  in  the  fourteenth  century,  and  miraculously 
recovered.  These  wafers  are  still  annually  paraded  with  great 
pomp  through  the  principal  streets. 

Brussels  contains  several  other  grand  and  venerable  cathedral 
churches,  erected  in  the  middle  ages.  Four  only  of  sixteen  are 
considered  primary,  and  belong  each  to  one  of  the  four  arrondisse- 
ments  into  which  the  city  is  divided;  the  others,  although  little 
inferior  in  appearance,  are  secondary  in  rank. 

At  the  summit  of  the  lofty  spire  which  surmounts  Notre  Dame 
de  la  Cliapelle,  is  stationed  a  watchman,  who  sounds  a  trumpet 


324  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

every  quarter  of  an  hour  during  the  night,  in  proof  of  his  wake- 
ful vigilance ;  and  on  seeing  a  fire,  he  blows  a  shrill  and  incessant 
blast  to  hasten  the  attendance  of  the  engines. 

The  inhabitants  of  Brussels  are  Catholics,  but  all  religious  ten- 
ets are  tolerated.  The  Church  of  England  service  is  performed 
in  several  Protestant  chapels,  for  the  accommodation  of  the  nume- 
rous English  residents.  And  their  Lutheran  king,  Leopold,  at- 
tends Protestant  service  in  his  private  chapel.  And,  besides,  the 
Jews,  of  whom  there  are  ten  thousand  in  the  whole  kingdom,  have 
their  general  consistory  in  Brussels,  and  a  handsome  synagogue. 

I  found  the  evening  journals  in  my  frequented  cafe,  filled  with 
incidents  of  the  revolution,  and  with  speculations  upon  its  results. 
Some  of  the  royal  family,  after  many  cruel  vicissitudes,  had  reached 
England,  that  generous  refuge  of  exiled  royalty.  There  were 
numerous  conjectures  as  to  the  fate  of  the  king.  As  I  mused 
upon  his  checkered  life,  I  felt  sad  at  the  fickleness  of  fortune,  that 
had  sported  so  wantonly  and  unfeelingly  with  its  favorite.  Lamar- 
tine  was  now  the  bright  particular  star,  beaming  with  resplendent 
effulgence  upon  the  chaotic  darkness  of  a  troubled  sea.  He  was 
powerfully  concentrating  all  the  energies  of  his  noble  heart  and 
grand  and  richly  cultivated  genius,  to  combine  the  elements  of 
order,  and  give  stability  and  harmonious  movement  to  civil  affairs. 
His  efforts  v,'ere  really  incredible,  and  his  success  was  proportion- 
ably  commensurate.  The  dread  of  the  conservative  mind  of  the 
nation,  that  some  excess  would  deluge  society  in  blood,  had  has- 
tened many  to  yield  their  adhesion  to  the  new  government.  Mr. 
Rush,  our  American  minister,  in  the  just  spirit  of  an  enlightened 
forecast,  was  the  first  of  the  foreign  ambassadors.  Among  the 
journals,  the  Journal  des  Debats,  the  Government  paper,  had,  quite 
turned  round  to  the  support  of  the  new  regime.  It  must  be  con- 
fessed, that  the  somerset  it  had  to  make,  was  most  gracefully  and 


LANDLADY  OF  THE  HOTEL.  325 


adroitly  clone.  To  the  praise  of  the  neAv  government,  one  of  its 
first  acts  was  the  reforming  of  the  school  law.  To  the  credit  of 
the  French  character,  let  it  be  said,  that  in  the  momentous  crisis 
of  February,  1848,  the  heart  and  intelligence  of  the  nation 
seemed  to  comprehend  the  necessity  of  mutual  forbearance,  union, 
harmony. 

Spent  the  remainder  of  the  evening  in  a  most  gratifying  tete-a- 
tete  with  Madame,  my  amiable  landlady,  and  a  particular  friend 
of  her  late  husband.  The  favor  was  granted  me  in  consideration 
of  my  being  a  foreigner,  and  especially  an  American.  She  had 
been  a  widow  but  a  few  months,  but  was  fast  regaining  her  w^onted 
vivacity  of  mind.  The  morning  of  a  brighter  day  was  just  gleam- 
ing forth  from  the  night  of  her  late  widowhood.  The  soft  twi- 
light of  radiance  invested  her  with  a  subdued  but  rather  fascinating 
charm.  Her  elegant  figure  gracefully  robed  in  black,  her  raven 
curls,  long,  dark  eye-lashes,  and  smile  tempered  with  slightly  som- 
bre hue,  imparted  a  chastened  and  sweet  expression  to  her  spirited 
and  forcible  character.  She  was,  perhaps,  thirty  years  of  age. 
She  spoke  freely  of  her  late  husband,  whose  memory  she  res- 
pected ;  but  their  union  had  been  unfortunate.  Slight  bodily  ills 
had  rendered  him  unfit  for  active  pursuit,  but  had  not  taken  from 
him  the  relish  for  society  and  love  of  pleasure.  lie  was  accord- 
ingly wont  to  spend  the  most  of  his  time  from  homo,  in  the  cafes 
and  other  places  of  public  resort,  lounging  and  whiling  the  hours 
in  vapid  amusements.  Their  joint  patrimony  being  soon  squan- 
dered, his  loving  and  devoted  wife  sprang  the  resources  of  her  fer- 
tile character,  to  relieve  the  embarrassment.  She  opened  a  hotel 
for  letting  rooms  to  travellers,  at  the  same  time  keeping  herself  a 
variety-store  in  one  part  of  the  same  building.  She  thus  not  only 
supported  comfortably  a  family  of  small  children,  with  servants, 
but  was  enabled  to  hand  over  something  to  indulge  the  habits  of 

28 


826  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

her  husband.  I  could  not  but  regard  her  as  a  fine  illustration  of 
the  capability  of  woman  to  rise  superior  to  fortune.  She  seemed 
completely  master  of  her  circumstances.  With  a  nursing  child  in 
her  arms,  she  might  be  seen  at  one  time  superintending  the  af- 
fairs of  the  house,  ordering  the  servants,  or  receiving  company ; 
at  another,  in  her  store,  in  her  peculiarly  engaging  manner,  win- 
ning largely  from  the  purse  of  her  customers ;  and  at  all  times 
equable,  gracious,  animating.  She  honored  matrimony,  and  yearned 
to  confide  in  the  generous  and  noble  heart  of  another,  but  she  had 
found  man  weak  and  ungrateful,  and  the  world  hard  and  unsym- 
pathizing ;  she  would  not,  therefore,  marry  again,  —  ah,  frail  reso- 
lution of  woman !  The  gentleman  just  mentioned,  was  wont  to 
visit  her  evenings,  and  remain  till  a  late  hour.  He  was  as  con- 
stant, too,  as  the  vesper-star  in  the  heaven  of  Hope.  He  claimed 
the  favor  of  her  society,  to  condole  her  bereavement,  out  of  the 
intimate  regard  he  bore  her  late  husband  ;  but  a  careful  eye  might 
detect  a  motive  of  another  kind.  He  was  no  unworthy  son  of 
Apollo.  He  might  have  been  thirty-five  ;  but  his  clear  and  ruddy 
complexion  had  only  softened  into  the  mellowness  of  the  peach. 
His  tapering  and  voluptuous  fingers  betokened  no  rougher  part- 
nership than  a  gentle  union  with  a  delicate  kid  glove.  He  was 
attired  with  superlative  elegance,  but  not  fastidiously  fine.  With- 
out possessing  marked  personal  beauty,  there  was  yet  about  him 
an  air  of  lofty  simplicity,  and  a  nonchalance  of  refined  ease  that 
was  absolutely  winning.  He  seemed  familiar  upon  all  topics  of 
conversation,  and  spoke  the  best  Parisian  French  with  extreme 
precision  and  ease,  and  with  an  accent  silvery  and  liquid.  How 
could  Madame  resist  so  many  insinuating  amenities  ?  She  was 
evidently  losing,  by  degrees,  that  entire  self-possession  which  ordi- 
narily marked  her  queenly  bearing.  Not  that  she  was  struck 
with  the  noble  mien  of  her  visitor,  or  admired  the  traits  of  his 


MARRIED  LIFE.  327 


manner,  or  was  charmed  with  his  glow  of  character ;  but  alas  for 
her  woman's  heart,  her  tenderness  of  nature,  and,  above  all,  that 
sympathy  which,  wrested  late  from  an  accustomed  object,  flowed 
out  too  readily  upon  the  first  new  devotee  that  sought  its  homage. 
This  gentleman  was  the  representative  of  a  class  in  Europe  by  no 
means  small  in  number,  who  are  vnlling  to  offset  their  personal 
accomplishments  against  the  money  or  business  capital  of  a  wife, 
to  secure  their  hfe  from  the  pinchings  of  pecuniary  embarrass- 
ment, —  that  most  uncomfortable  of  feehngs,  especially  to  such 
gentlemen.  Thus  fairly  seated  in  the  matrimonial  car,  they  pass 
over  the  road  of  life  most  delectably  to  themselves.  Leaving  at 
the  stopping  places  of  the  way,  their  better-half — better,  true 
enough  —  to  the  graver  duty  of  looking  after  the  luggage  of  the 
journey,  they  are  wont  to  spend  the  protracted  intervals  in  regal- 
ing the  sense  with  other  views  and  scenting  the  fragrance  of  other 
fields.  Woman,  thus  wedded,  has  the  husk  of  matrimonial  en- 
dearments, and  the  dregs  of  the  wine  of  life,  as  penitential  fruit 
for  the  seductions  of  heart  over  the  guidance  of  reason.  Yet  it 
is  a  lesson  hard  to  learn,  —  that  of  prudence  against  habit  and  in- 
clination. How  strange  that  the  burnt  child  does  not  dread  the 
fire,  —  that  the  sailor  will  turn  again  to  the  perils  escaped  by  a 
hair-breadth,  —  tliat  the  soldier  will  reenlist  for  death-devouring 
fields  of  carnage, —  and  that  woman  will  plunge  agahi  into  the 
corroding  waters  of  a  same  wedlock  from  which  she  has  but  just 
safely  emerged,  still  dripping  with  the  waters  of  bitter  experience. 
Thus,  Madame,  who  would  often  mournfully  recount  the  unequal 
burden  of  her  late  married  life,  and  would  freely  declare  her  de- 
termination as  the  result  of  her  judgment,  not  to  wed  again, 
was  yet  evidently  being  lured  into  the  very  net  that  so  appalled 
her  judgment. 

Marriage  is,  in  many  respects,  quite  a  different  thing  in  Europe 


328  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

and  the  United  States.  In  the  former,  among  the  middUng  clas- 
ses, there  is  one  feature  particularly  noticeable.  When  a  couple 
come  to"-ether  in  wedlock,  each  of  the  parties  retains,  often  to  a 
ruinous  extent,  his  individual  habits  and  tastes.  If  the  bridegroom 
is  a  sort  of  idle  gentleman,  wont  to  sport  his  time  on  the  boule- 
vards and  in  the  cafes,  and  the  bride  an  industrious  body  inured 
to  the  profession  of  gain,  a  similar  course  wdll  continue  after  mar- 
ria"-e.  He  will  spend  his  evenings  and  days  abroad,  pursuing  the 
phantom  of  his  own  amusement,  —  while  she  is  attending  assidu- 
ously to  the  domestic  affairs,  or  devotedly  pursuing  some  calling  of 
gain.  How  different  is  it  with  us  !  A  young  man,  for  uistance, 
of  independent  means,  marries  a  girl  who  may  have  been  a  very 
respectable  domestic.  At  once  a  notable  transformation  takes 
place.  She  immediately  assumes  the  dignity  and  imitates  the  airs 
of  a  married  lady  in  the  highest  circles ;  while  the  husband,  some- 
thino-  of  an  idler  before,  now  finding  his  small  income  insufficient 
to  meet  the  growing  expense  of  his  new  state,  engages  industrious- 
ly in  some  branch  of  business  which  he  pursues  with  the  perti- 
nacity of  a  martyr. 

March  Ath.  In  the  afternoon,  visited  one  of  the  communal 
schools,  which  will  not  require  a  particular  description,  as  in  or- 
ganization and  appearance,  it  did  not  differ  materially  from  those 
already  described.  The  salary  of  the  teacher  was  about  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  dollars  per  annum,  —  a  remuneration  slight 
enough,  I  thought,  for  the  apparently  severe  duties  of  his  place. 
For  the  uistruction  of  youth  of  both  sexes  in  all  departments  of 
scholastic  knowledge,  and  every  elegant  accomplishment,  there 
are  in  Brussels  many  excellent  academical  institutions,  both 
public  and  private.  One  of  the  teachers  very  kindly  offered  to 
conduct  me  to  one  of  these  latter.  It  was  under  the  direction  of 
J.  Pietersz,  and  kept  in  a  part  of  the  buildings  of  the  University. 


COMMUNAL  SCHOOLS.  329 


As  we  passed  through  a  basement  room  of  this  edifice,  I  noticed 
several  students  seated  around  a  table,  upon  which  was  a  human 
corpse  undergoing  dissection.  A  sight  which  caused  within  me 
an  involuntary  sensation  of  horror,  was  completely  an  indifferent 
object  to  the  jolly-faced  disciples  who  were  working  away  as  if 
carving  a  turkey,  cracking  their  jokes  in  the  most  easy  good  humor 
imaginable.  Around  another  table  were  pupils  engaged  in 
sketching  from  patterns  before  them.  Adjoining  this  room  were 
several  small  apartments  occupied  as  cabinets,  filled  with  many 
curious  and  interesting  objects.  In  one  was  an  entire  family  char- 
red by  fire,  and  in  a  complete  state  of  preservation.  They  were 
among  the  victims  of  a  fire  that  took  place  in  the  city  several  hun- 
dred years  ago.  In  another  apartment  were  pointed  out  to  me 
several  heads  of  criminals  executed  by  the  guillotine  but  a  few 
days  since.  The  sensation  produced  by  viewing  them  was  such 
as  I  cannot  describe.  That  instrument  of  death  whose  bare  name 
calls  up  such  dreadful  and  affecting  associations  of  the  old  French 
Revolution,  was  still  in  use  in  Belgium  for  capital  punishment. 
Indeed,  a  gentleman  minutely  narrated  to  me  the  circumstances  of 
an  execution  inflicted  by  its  irrevocable  stroke  —  of  which  he  was 
a  personal  witness  —  and  the  sensations  it  caused  him.  The  a^c- 
tim  is  placed  in  an  angular  position  in  a  perpendicular  frame.  At 
a  signal,  not  seen,  the  massive,  gleaming  steel  descends  noiselessly 
in  a  grooved  fi-ame,  separating  the  head  from  the  trunk  with  as 
much  facility  as  a  keen  knife  would  the  small  end  of  a  smooth 
beet. 

Mr.  P.  received  me  graciously,  and  conducted  me  through  all 
the  apartments  of  the  school,  allowing  me  time  to  examine  person- 
ally, and  ask  questions.  He  wore  slippers,  and  generally  spoke 
to  me  in  a  whisper,  especially  in  the  school-rooms,  appearing  scru- 
pulous about  disturbing  the  teachers.  The  school  comprises  some 
28* 


330  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


four  or  five  hundred  pupils,  and  twenty  teachers.  There  was  con- 
siderable difference  in  the  degree  of  stillness  in  the  several  rooms, 
—  but  the  pupils  throughout  appeared  studious  and  interested ; 
while  the  mode  of  reciting  showed  the  school  to  be  of  superior 
character.  I  was  particularly  struck  with  the  extreme  degree  of 
stillness  in  one  room  containing  perhaps  eighty  or  a  hundred  pu- 
pils. The  slight  ticking  of  the  time-piece  was  distinctly  audible 
all  over  the  room,  while  the  teacher,  moving  noiselessly  around  in 
the  softest  slippers,  spoke  in  a  note  little  above  a  whisper.  Still 
this  part  of  the  school  did  not  strike  me  as  superior  to  that  in 
other  rooms.  Indeed  I  was  bold  enough  to  imagine  it  inferior. 
There  seemed  to  be  an  unnatural  restraint  which  stiffened  the 
mental  ardor  of  the  pupils.  The  beaming  eye  and  flushed  ex- 
pression of  enthusiasm  appeared  wanting.  Mr.  P.  spoke  of  the 
school,  as  if  it  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  very  best  in  the  city ;  and 
there  was  in  reality  a  tone  of  enterprise  and  spirit  pervading  it 
that,  to  the  eye  of  a  practical  teacher,  bespoke  unusual  excellence. 
Mr.  P.,  the  director,  receives  about  six  hundred  dollars  per  an- 
num, with  room,  lights,  and  fuel.  His  duties  are  those  only  of  a 
supei-intendent,  not  being  required  to  teach  himself  He  has  thus 
left  considei'able  spare  time,  which  he  has  wisely  appropriated  in 
preparing  text-books  for  the  primary  schools  of  the  city.  He  had 
the  goodness  to  present  me  with  his  series  of  readers,  in  which  the 
lessons  are  graduated  in  a  most  admirable  manner.  Some  of  the 
other  teachers  are  paid  about  four  hundred  dollars  per  annum. 
Their  teacher  in  English,  I  was  told,  was  from  Boston,  but  I  did 
not  get  the  favor  of  an  interview. 

March  6th.  Took  a  turn  to  view  the  Botanic  Garden,  near  the 
Observatory,  on  the  outer  side  of  the  city  wall.  It  contains  an 
extensive  and  beautiful  collection  of  indigenous  and  exotic  plants, 
and  is  allowed  to  be  one  of  the  finest  public  gardens  m  Europe. 


LAMAETINE'S  EFFORTS  FOR  PEACE,  331 


The  public  journals  were  discussing  tlie  probabilities  of  a  coali- 
tion by  the  powers  of  Europe,  to  put  down  republicanism  in 
France.  It  was  evident  enough  that  no  such  thing  could  take 
place.  Public  opinion  had  made  a  long  stride  since  the  time  of 
Napoleon  the  Great.  Liberal  sentiments  had  pretty  thoroughly 
impregnated  the  masses.  The  treachery  of  the  governments,  in 
not  fulfilling  their  engagements  to  the  people,  after  getting  their 
aid  to  crush  Napoleon,  was  stiU  fresh  in  the  public  ear.  Then  each 
government  evidently  had  enough  to  do  to  manage  the  affairs  of 
its  own  kingdom,  and  prevent  the  wave  of  freedom  just  issued 
from  Paris,  from  rolling  its  demolishing  waters  over  entire  Europe. 
If  work  they  must  against  the  dangerous  propagandism,  it  would 
be  secretly,  by  diplomacy,  and  after  the  first  wave  had  receded. 

Lamartine,  with  almost  superhuman  energy,  was  endeavoring 
by  the  fiat  of  thought,  to  elevate  and  harmonize  the  French  mind 
to  the  true  idea  of  freedom ;  while,  at  the  same  time,  he  was  in- 
structing foreign  governments  as  to  the  course  France  would  pur- 
sue. To  the  latter,  with  tlie  power  of  eloquence,  he  held  out  in 
one  hand  the  sword,  and  in  the  other,  the  olive-branch  of  peace. 
His  bulletins,  messages,  and  ordinances,  were  issued  with  a  pro- 
lificness  almost  incredible,  juid  were  spread  immediately  on  the 
wings  of  intelligence  all  over  Europe ;  while,  at  the  same  time, 
he  was  at  brief  intervals  haranguing  the  French  populace,  until 
nature  being  exhausted,  he  was  obliged  to  be  lield  upon  his  feet, 
to  give  utterance  to  his  peace-inspiring  thoughts.  Let  the  grati- 
tude of  the  world  be  awarded  Lamartine  for  his  noble  and  power- 
ful efforts  for  peace  at  this  tremendous  crisis. 

March  12th.  To-day  was  the  last  of  six  days  of  Carnival 
which  was  being  celebrated  in  the  city.  Tliese  religious  holidays 
passed  off  peaceably  enough,  altliough  the  authorities,  in  the  rev- 
olutionary panic,  had  taken  the  utmost  precaution  to  prevent  dis- 


332  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


turbance.  The  term  is  derived  from  the  Latin  carni  vale,  farewell 
to  meat.  It  occm-s  during  the  week  before  the  commencement  of 
Lent,  and  introduces  the  great  fast  of  the  church.  It  is  celebrated 
in  all  Catholic  countries,  but  more  particularly  at  Rome  and  Ven- 
ice. It  is  looked  forward  to  with  happy  anticipations,  and  is  ac- 
companied with  much  merriment  and  revelry.  On  these  occasions 
business  is  considerably  suspended,  theatres  are  in  full  glow,  mas- 
querade balls  reign  in  profusion,  and  a  withdrawal  by  common 
consent  of  the  lines  that  divide  society,  takes  place.  Young  men 
and  girls  in  the  most  ludicrous  costume,  parade  the  streets  and 
perpetrate  jokes,  and  take  innocent  liberties  with  each  other  and 
with  the  bystanders,  which  would  never  be  tolerated  at  other 
times.  But  custom  is  the  law  of  society.  On  the  last  day  they 
had  a  course,  or  as  we  should  say,  procession,  in  which  the  authori- 
ties and  more  dignified  citizens  joined.  It  was  escorted  by  a  band 
of  musicians  dressed  supremely  droll,  and  throwing  off  the  most 
fantastic  airs  imaginable.  The  side-walks  were  lined  with  people ; 
and  parents  everywhere  took  out  their  children,  neatly  di'essed, 
to  witness  the  amusing  spectacle. 

In  the  forenoon  I  looked  into  several  churches.  They  were 
celebrating  mass,  and  the  ceremony  was  imposing  and  novel. 
The  meetings  were  unusually  thronged,  generally  of  the  middling 
classes.  The  personal  beauty  of  the  females  did  not  strike  me 
with  admiration.  I  could  not  be  mistaken  in  thinking  them  infe- 
rior in  that  respect  to  the  same  class  in  the  United  States.  Al- 
most every  woman  bore  the  appearance  of  physical  distortion, 
arising,  no  doubt,  from  the  undue  bodily  toil  imposed  upon  the 
masses  of  females  in  Europe.  It  is  very  clear  that  a  certain 
amount  of  physical  exercise  is  favorable  not  only  to  health  but  to 
personal  beauty ;  and  it  is  quite  as  unequivocal  that  severe  pro- 
tracted labor  dwarfs  the  body  and  mind,  which  is  perpetuated  in 


HEEO-WORSfflP.  833 


the  offspring.  Hence,  one  looks  in  vain  among  the  lower  classes 
in  France,  Germany,  and  Belgium,  for  that  classic  symmetry  of 
features,  and  rounded,  graceful  form,  so  common  among  us.  It  is 
not  pretended  that  there  are  not  striking  exceptions  to  the  pre- 
vailing rule. 

I  sought  in  vain  at  the  bookstores,  for  a  copy  of  Lamartine's 
History  of  the  Girondists.  The  work,  suificiently  popular  before, 
had  actually  entranced  the  public  mind,  since  the  elevation  of  the 
noble  poet  to  the  head  of  the  French  government.  The  furor  for 
this,  his  latest  writings,  was  so  great,  that  the  teeming  presses  in 
Paris  and  Brussels  could  in  no  way  supply  the  eager  appetite  of 
the  public.  We  in  America  are  accused  of  extravagant  hero- 
worship,  but  our  enthusiasm  in  that  particular,  pales  by  the  side 
of  the  intensity  of  European  homage,  when  the  public  imagination 
there  makes  to  itself  an  idol.  Some  are  disposed  to  ridicule  this 
trait  as  a  weakness.  They  would  eradicate  it  from  society.  They 
will  succeed,  doubtless,  when  all  that  is  noble  and  beautiful  dies 
out  from  the  human  heart.  The  truth  is,  we  are  all  benificently 
constituted  to  worship  goodness  and  loveliness.  Each  has  hia 
heau4deal,  which  he  instinctively  adores.  When  a  public  charac- 
ter appears,  invested  with  the  traits  of  our  ideal  image,  our  heart 
flows  out  toward  him  by  a  law  of  our  nature.  It  often  happens, 
indeed,  that  our  souls  are  cheated.  The  bright  jewel  of  our  heart's 
affections  is  but  a  base  coin,  falsely  made  to  glitter  before  our 
soul's  eye,  by  some  master-lapidary.  But  who  would  venture, 
after  all,  to  alter  the  arrangement,  on  the  score  of  human  happi- 
ness and  human  good  ?  We  surely  get  the  blissful  emotions  of 
loving  the  beautiful,  if  but  in  imagination  ;  and  the  strengthening 
of  our  affections,  by  exercise,  for  tlie  disapi)ointment  of  the  decep- 
tion. Who  shall  say  that  in  this  sordid  age,  wlien  the  artificial 
j)0wers  of  society  tend  to  debase  the  soul,  and  strangle  all  the 


834  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


purer  and  nobler  affections,  whether  our  Barnums  are  highway 
poachers,  or  benefactors  to  society. 

Shopping  is  an  agreeable  business  in  Brussels,  as  in  Paris. 
You  are  waited  on  by  young  ladies  of  personal  beauty,  easy  and 
engaging  manners,  and  dressed  with  elegant  neatness.  You  find 
none  of  the  coarse  bantering  so  common  Avith  us,  which  renders 
shopping  an  irksome  affair,  making  you  feel  that  you  cannot  pass 
through  it  without  losing  something  of  your  personal  dignity  and 
manliness.  Our  republican  manners  often  appear  very  strange  to 
them.  I  one  day  made  a  purchase  of  a  small  article  ;  and  as  I 
was  going  from  the  shop  directly  to  my  hotel,  I  proposed  taking  it 
along  with  me,  —  when  the  young  lady  of  whom  I  made  the  pur- 
chase, insisted  that  I  should  not.  As  I  gently  persisted  in  my  de- 
termination, she  referred  the  matter  to  her  mother,  in  an  apart- 
ment below,  —  whereupon  Madame  came  tumbling  up  stairs  into 
the  shop,  in  considerable  excitement,  and  warmly  entered  her  pro- 
testations against  so  mean  an  act.  To  forestall  the  necessity  of 
my  doing  so,  she  called  a  servant,  and  sent  him  to  my  side.  "Wish- 
ing to  see  how  far  a  prejudice  would  carry  an  honest  and  kind- 
hearted  woman,  I  firmly  stated  that  my  mind  was  made  up,  and 
made  a  movement  to  go.  The  good  woman  first  throwing  up  her 
eyes  and  hands  towards  the  ceiling,  then  dropping  them  on  her 
dress  in  a  pathos  of  despair  and  mortification,  ejaculated,  "  Mon 
Dieu,  Monsieur,  a  gentleman  take  his  goods  with  him  through  the 
streets !" 

The  Belgians  are  hardly  behind  any  people  in  the  variety  and 
excellence  of  their  manufactures.  The  carpet  manufactory  of 
Messrs.  Schumacher  &  Co.  at  Toui-nay,  is  said  to  be  the  most  ex- 
tensive and  important  in  Europe.  It  produces  all  kinds  of  what 
are  called  Brussels  carpets,  from  those  which  adorn  the  sumptuous 
palaces  of  kings,  to  such  as  are  used  for  the  floor  of  the  cottage. 


MANUFACTUEE  OF  LACE.  335 


Constant  employment  is  given  to  sixteen  hundred  workmen,  who 
occupy  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  looms,  and  produce  annually 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  metres  of  carpeting,  — 
seven-eighths  of  which  is  exported.  Manufactures  in  other  de- 
partments are  highly  prosperous,  but  the  most  noted  is  that  of 
lace.  The  manufacture  of  this  article,  though  not  so  prosperous 
as  formerly,  has  yet  nothing  to  fear  from  foreign  competition. 
*'  Brussels  lace,"  the  thread  of  which  is  made  of  the  finest  flax  of 
the  country,  is  superior  to  every  other  description  made  in  Bel- 
gium or  in  foreign  countries,  —  and  the  demand  for  it  is  kept  up 
in  all  parts  of  the  world.  Its  peculiar  qualities  are,  delicate  fine- 
ness and  a  great  elegance  and  variety  of  design.  The  patterns 
are  all  worked  separate,  and  stitched  on.  The  flax  employed 
grows  near  Hal,  and  the  best  at  Rebecque.  The  finest  descrip- 
tion costs  from  three  to  four  thousand  francs  a  pound,  and  is  worth 
its  weight  in  gold.  The  spinning  is  performed  in  darkened  rooms, 
with  a  beam  of  light  admitted  only  upon  the  work,  through  a 
small  aperture.  This  expensive  luxury  may  be  seen  ornamenting 
the  dress  of  all  classes  of  females.  It  is  made  a  sine  qua  non  of 
wardrobe ;  and  those  who  cannot  affoixl  the  genuine  article,  wear 
an  imitation  more  or  less  perfect.  I  found  no  gloves  even  in 
Paris,  equal  to  those  in  Brussels,  for  softness  and  elegance. 

Belgium  was  inhabited  before  the  Christian  era,  by  numerous 
tribes  of  the  German  race,  who  lived  by  hunting,  and  by  rudely  cul- 
tivating the  earth.  They  consisted  of  two  classes,  chiefs  and 
slaves  ;  and  Druidism  from  Britain  was  universally  predominant. 
In  stature  and  bulk  they  surpassed  the  Romans,  whom  they  fiercely 
encountered,  and  nearly  destroyed  Cesai''s  army  of  the  best  dis- 
ciplined troops  in  the  world.  They  subsequently  amalgamated 
with  the  Romans,  —  and  many  of  Cesar's  victories,  especially 
that  of  Pharsalia,  were  decided  by  the  cavalry  and  light  infantry 


336  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


of  Belgium.  In  the  third,  fourth,  and  fifth  centuries,  the  charac- 
ter of  the  Belgians  was  greatly  changed  by  successive  invasions 
of  Salian  Franks  from  the  North.  In  the  time  of  Charlemagne, 
A.  D.  800,  the  physical  state  of  the  country  had  become  much  im- 
proved. At  the  end  of  the  ninth  century,  the  Normans  commen- 
ced a  series  of  piratical  irruptions  into  Belgium,  and  continued  to 
plunder  and  devastate  the  whole  country  during  one  hundred  and 
fifty  years.  At  the  end  of  the  eleventh  century,  the  fanatical 
phrenzy  of  the  crusades  induced  many  of  the  nobles  to  part  with 
lands,  and  to  grant  privileges  and  political  powers,  in  order  to  ob- 
tain the  means  of  equipping  armies  to  fight  the  Saracens.  The 
people,  conscious  of  power,  gradually  extorted  from  the  nobles, 
their  rulers,  so  many  concessions,  that  the  provinces  formed  in 
reality,  a  democracy,  and  were  only  nominally  subject  to  France 
and  its  nobles.  When  the  rest  of  Europe  was  subject  to  despot- 
ism, and  involved  in  comparative  ignorance  and  barbai'ism,  the 
court  of  the  counts  of  Flanders  was  the  chosen  residence  of 
liberty,  civilization,  and  useful  knowledge  ;  and  when  the  ships  of 
other  nations  scarcely  ventured  beyond  the  sight  of  land,  those 
of  the  Flemish  merchants  traversed  the  ocean ;  and  Bruges  and 
Antwerp  possessed  all  the  commerce  and  wealth  of  the  north  of 
Europe.  Under  the  Burgundian  dynasty,  the  commercial  and 
manufacturing  towns  of  the  low  countries  enjoyed  remarkable 
prosperity.  The  famous  Order  of  the  Golden  Fleece  was  institu- 
ted in  1430.  Bruges  and  Antwerp  were  the  great  marts  of  the 
commercial  world,  and  contained  each  about  two  hundred  thousand 
inhabitants.  In  the  Flemish  court  of  the  Duke  of  Burgundy, 
named  Phillip  the  Good,  about  1455,  luxurious  living  was  carried 
to  a  foolish  and  vicious  excess.  The  wealthy  were  clad  in  gorge- 
ous velvets,  satins,  and  jewelry,  and  their  banquets  were  given 
with  almost  incredible  splendor.     Many  instances  of  the  immense 


FORMER  PROSPERITY  OF  BELGIUM.  337 


wealth  of  its  merchants  are  recorded ;  among  others,  it  is  said 
that  when  Charles  V.  once  dined  with  one  of  the  Chief  Magis- 
trates of  Belgium,  his  host  immediately  after  dinner  threw  into 
the  fire  a  bond  for  two  millions  of  ducats,  which  he  had  received 
as  security  for  a  loan  to  that  monarch,  saying  that  he  was  more 
than  repaid  by  the  honor  of  being  permitted  to  entertain  his  sove- 
reign. This  luxury  produced  depravity  and  crime  to  such  an 
extent,  that  in  one  year  fourteen  hundred  murders  were  commit- 
ted in  Ghent,  in  the  gambling  houses  and  other  re.-orts  of  de- 
bauchery. The  arts  were  cultivated  with  great  success.  Most  of 
the  magnificent  cathedrals  and  town-halls  in  the  country  were 
built  in  the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth  centuries.  History,  poetry, 
and  learning,  were  much  cultivated ;  and  the  University  of  Lo- 
vain  was  the  most  celebrated  in  Europe.  In  1477,  Belgium 
passed  under  the  dynasty  of  the  empire  of  Austria.  In  the  reign 
of  Charles  V,  the  influence  of  the  Burghers  attained  its  highest 
point.  The  Scheldt  at  Antwerp  often  contained  twenty-five  hun- 
dred vessels,  waiting  their  turn  to  come  to  the  wharves ;  her  gates 
were  daily  entered  by  five  hundred  loaded  wagons ;  and  her  ex- 
change was  attended,  twice  a  day,  by  five  thousand  merchants, 
who  expended  one  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  golden  crowns  in 
a  single  banquet  given  to  Phillip,  the  son  of  Charles  V.  The 
value  of  wool  annually  imported  from  England  and  Spain,  ex- 
ceeded four  million  pieces  of  gold.  This  amazing  prosperity  ex- 
perienced a  rapid  and  fatal  decline  under  the  malignant  tyranny 
and  bigotry  of  Phillip  II,  son  of  Charles  V.  He  established  in 
its  most  diabolical  extravagance  the  inquisition,  and  persecuted 
the  Protestants  to  the  death.  He  is  known  to  have  boasted,  that 
in  less  than  six  years  he  had  put  to  death  eighteen  thousand  men 
and  women  by  the  sword,  the  gibbet,  the  rack,  and  the  flames. 
Commerce  and  trade  in  Belgium  now  dwindled  away,  many  of 

29 


3§8  CRESTS  FKOM  THE  OCEA\MVOKLD. 


the  rich  merchants  were  reduced  to  beg  for  bread,  the  great  cities 
were  half  deserted,  and  forest-wolves  often  devoured  the  scattered 
inhabitants  of  desolated  villages.  In  1706  it  changed  from  the 
Spanish  dominion  to  the  Austrian  ;  and  having  been  several  times 
conquered  by,  and  reconquered  from,  the  French,  it  was  incorpo- 
rated in  1795,  with  the  French  republic,  and  divided  into  depart- 
ments. In  the  centre  of  Belgium  was  fought  the  great  battle  of 
Waterloo,  in  1815.  In  fact,  so  often  has  it  been  the  scene  on 
which  the  surrounding  nations  have  settled  their  quarrels,  that  it 
has  long  been  styled  the  cock-pit  of  Europe.  By  the  Congress 
of  Vienna,  the  provinces  of  Belgium  were  annexed  to  those  of 
Holland,  to  fonn  the  kingdom  of  the  Netherlands,  which  existed 
until  the  revolution  in  1830,  when  Belgium  became  an  indepen- 
dent nation. 

The  Belgians  have  been  successively  subjected  to  the  influence 
of  so  many  different  governments  —  French,  Austrian,  Spanish, 
Dutch  —  that  they  consequently  possess  no  distinctive  and  pecu- 
liar national  character.  The  apathy  and  persevering  industry  of 
the  Dutch  is  blended  with  the  vivacity  and  self-assurance  of  the 
French.  The  most  obvious  pecuharity  by  which  the  Belgians  are 
distinguished,  is  their  devout  observance  of  religious  rites  and  ce- 
remonies. In  the  rural  districts,  the  clergy  are  regarded  with  fa- 
natical veneration,  and  everywhere  exercise,  and  endeavor  to 
maintain,  a  powerful  dominion  over  the  great  mass  of  the  work- 
men and  peasants.  The  churches  are  all  open  at  five  or  six  o'- 
clock every  morning,  when  every  good  Catholic  attends  to  repeat 
his  prayers  before  entering  upon  the  business  or  pleasure  of  the 
day ;  and  the  afternoon  and  evening  of  every  Sunday  are  enliv- 
ened by  the  entertainments  of  tavern-gardens,  grounds  for  shoot- 
ing with  the  cross-bow,  ball-rooms,  theatres,  and  other  public 
places  of  amusement. 


AMUSEMENTS.  339 


Music  and  dancing  are  very  favorite  amusements,  especially 
with  the  middle  and  lower  classes.  On  every  fine  summer  eve- 
ning, balls  are  given  at  the  tavern-gardens,  which  are  numerous 
in  the  outskirts  of  every  large  town.  The  price  of  admission 
varies  from  three  or  four  sous  to  a  franc.  Music  festivals  are 
celebrated  every  year  at  Brussels,  Ghent,  and  Antwerp,  by  ama- 
teur performers,  who  are  emulated  by  enthusiastic  ambition  to  win 
numerous  prizes,  which  are  awarded  to  the  best  performers.  The 
musical  skill  exhibited  on  these  occasions,  is  truly  astonishing. 
Music,  in  fact,  is  so  commonly  and  carefully  learned,  even  by  the 
laboring  classes,  that  the  harmony  of  the  airs  which  are  sung  by 
groups  of  peasants  while  at  work,  is  often  delightful  to  the  most 
cultivated  musical  ear. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

DEPARTURE  FROM  BRUSSELS — CANAL  BOATS — BEAUTIFUL  AP- 
PEARANCE OF  THE  COUNTRY  —  BRUGES — CATHEDRAL  OF 
NOTRE  DAME  —  DIETETICS  —  GROUPS  OF  MUSICIANS  —  ARRI- 
VAL OF  A  STEAMER  —  EMBARK  FOR  DOVER  —  DOVER  HEIGHTS 
—  CUSTOM  HOUSE  —  SMUGGLING  —  DOVER  CASTLE  —  LEAVE 
FOR   LONDON. 

March  13th.  I  was  up  early,  preparing  for  my  departure. 
The  bill  of  Madame  was  moderate,  and  her  kindness  in  various 
ways  had  won  upon  me.  My  regret,  therefore,  at  bidding  her 
farewell,  was  heightened  by  friendship's  power.  I  could  not  but 
feel  a  sadness,  too,  at  leaving  a  city  so  filled  with  ennobling  objects 
of  contemplation.  If  travelling  is  a  sad  pleasure,  thus  separating 
one's  self,  and  perhaps  forever,  from  a  place  endeared  to  the  heart 
by  glowing  associations,  is  not  the  least  sombre  feature  in  the  mov- 
ing panorama.  The  raw  air  without,  and  the  overcast  sky,  more- 
over, lent  additional  gloom.  They  seemed  in  sympathy  with  the 
rising  emotions. 

I  had  denied  myself  the  interest  of  visiting  the  memorable  bat- 
tle ground  of  Waterloo,  having  seen  the  tragic  spot  in  a  tour 
through  Belgium,  several  years  before.  Yet  it  was  not  so  easy 
for  me  to  forego  visiting  Antwerp,  as  I  had  planned  to  do,  on  leav- 
ing Paris,  although  I  had  already  tarried  there  several  weeks. 
The  venerable  city  is  too  full  of  art,  and  too  rich  in  historical  as- 
sociations, for  one  visit  to  satisfy.     Still,  inclination  had  to  yield 


CANALS  IN  BELGIUM.  341 


to  circumstances,  and  I  was  soon  speeding  my  way  on  the  route 
to  England,  by  the  way  of  Ostend.  On  leaving  the  city,  a  fine 
view  was  soon  presented  of  the  magnificent  Palace  of  Laekin,  the 
country  residence  of  his  majesty,  Leopold ;  while  behind  us  stood 
out  in  clear  relief,  against  a  back-ground  of  impervious  sky,  the 
numerous  sjiires  and  turrets  of  the  miniature-Paris.  The  city 
thus  appears  huddled  upon  a  rounded  plateau  of  earth,  shghtly 
elevated,  and  presents  an  agreeable  contrast  to  the  verdure  of  the 
level  country  surrounding  it. 

All  the  cars  of  our  train  were  well  filled,  —  the  result  of  low 
fares,  doubtless.  The  motion  was  easy  and  equable,  and  we  ex- 
perienced few  annoying  delays.  The  railway  lines  in  Belgium 
being  under  the  direction  of  the  government,  greater  precision  is 
thus  secured  to  them. 

The  third-class  cars  of  our  train  were  open  at  the  sides,  and 
provided  with  long,  plain  benches,  for  seats.  These  were  com- 
pletely thronged  with  coarsely-dressed,  but  orderly  and  healthful- 
looking  people,  some  of  them  bearing  along  with  them  even  im- 
plements of  husbandry,  or  mechanical  tools. 

The  flatness  of  the  country  in  Belgium  is  favorable,  of  course, 
to  the  construction  of  canals ;  hence  the  country  is  considerably 
intersected  by  them,  forming  in  the  aggregate  a  distance  equal  to 
about  two  hundred  miles.  Such  as  we  passed  appeared  wider  and 
less  crooked  than  I  had  been  accustomed  to  see,  and  were,  of 
course,  nearly  destitute  of  locks.  As  we  passed  along,  I  was 
struck  with  several  pecuharities  of  the  canal-boats.  They  were 
larger  than  ours,  and  were  rigged  to  sail,  when  the  wind  would 
allow  of  it.  For  this  purpose  they  were  supplied,  like  a  sloop, 
with  a  single  mast,  which,  by  means  of  a  hinge,  could  be  lowered 
back  upon  the  deck,  to  enable  the  boat  to  jiass  under  bridges. 
Whenever  they  came  to  a  reach,  that  would  not  allow  of  sailing, 

29* 


342  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


tlie boatmen  jumped  out  upon  the  bank,  and  with  a  tow-line  tugged 
their  ponderous  craft  along,  till  a  turn  in  the  canal  enabled  them 
to  make  use  again  of  their  sail.  Yet  I  am  not  certain  that  this  is 
the  mode  of  canalling  throughout  Belgium.  In  proportion  as  we  left 
Brussels  m  the  distance,  we  lost  hearing  the  pure  French  spoken, — • 
the  language  in  the  villages  through  which  we  passed  becoming 
either  Flemish,  a  sort  of  mongrel  dialect,  or  the  flat,  broad  Dutch. 
Occasionally,  however,  the  ear  was  fuddled  with  a  mixture  com- 
pounded of  Dutch,  Flemish,  and  a  Uttle  German  and  French. 
The  dress,  too,  of  the  common  people,  partook  of  the  melange, 
while  the  more  graceffll  manners  of  the  French  character  en- 
grafted upon  the  sturdy  basis  of  the  Dutch,  was  a  subject  of  curi- 
ous interest.  The  flatness  of  the  country,  extending  like  a  con- 
tinued praii'ie,  enables  the  cities  and  villages  to  be  seen  at  a  great 
distance.  They  are  picturesquely  grouped  upon  some  site  slightly 
elevated,  and  appear  to  the  eye  of  imagination,  life-teeming  oases 
amid  a  desert  of  habitations.  Each  village,  however  humble,  has 
its  church,  upon  the  interior  of  which  is  lavished  the  riches  of  tlTe 
district,  and  whose  spire  shoots  up  to  a  dizzy  height.  The  inter- 
minable flatness  of  the  surface,  its  lawn-like  verdure,  the  unique 
form  and  variegated  color  of  the  edifices,  the  lofty  needle  spires 
of  the  churches,  the  somewhat  bulky  character  of  the  people,  with 
their  fanciful  costume,  and  irregular  language,  all  render  the  pic- 
ture such  as  is  nowhere  else  to  be  met  with,  and  one  of  refreshing 
interest  to  the  cursory  traveller. 

Belgium  is  full  of  historical  associations  of  vivid  interest.  There 
is  not  a  village,  however  humble,  but  has  hallowed  recollections 
enough  to  fill  a  chapter  by  itself.  It  were,  indeed,  interesting  to 
pause  a  moment  and  call  up,  from  the  dim  shades  of  the  past, 
heroic  acts  of  a  chivalrous  age,  —  but  this  is  a  time  of  railroads 
and  steam-boats,  and  we  must  hasten  on  our  journey.     Let  my 


BRUGES.  343 

reader,  however,  tarry  with  me  a  Httle  in  Bruges,  and  take  a 
brief  glance  at  a  few  of  the  noted  features  of  what  was  once  one  of 
the  most  considerable  cities  of  Belgium.  Its  name  is  derived  from 
the  Flemish  word  Briigge,  —  which  means  bridges,  —  from  the  cir- 
cumstance of  its  having  fifty-four  bridges  across  the  numerous 
canals  by  which  the  streets  are  intei-sected.  The  city  has  a  cir- 
cumference of  nearly  four  and  a  half  miles,  and  is  entered  by  six 
gates. 

Bruges  has  six  large  squares;  and  many  large,  and  noble  ancient 
mansions  and  spacious  public  edifices  present  their  pointed  gables 
to  the  streets,  and  afford  interesting  specimens  of  the  ornamental 
Gothic  architecture  of  the  middle  ages.  The  spectacle  of  these 
edifices  induces  the  contemplative  mind  to  revert  to  the  grandeur 
and  opulence  of  the  city  in  the  days  of  chivalry,  when  its  gorge- 
ous halls  and  courts  were  scenes  of  regal  pomp  and  pageantry,  — 
and  impress  him  with  a  feeling  of  sadness  in  contrasting  its  ancient 
prosperity  with  its  present  comparative  desolation.  Among  the 
most  remarkable  edifices  is  the  cathedral  of  Notre  Dame,  the 
tower  of  which  is  so  lofty  that,  when  the  atmosphere  is  particu- 
larly clear,  it  is  visible  from  the  mouth  of  the  Thames.  The 
interior  conttiins  among  other  interesting  objects,  a  marble  statue 
of  the  Virgin  and  Child,  attributed  to  Michael  Angelo,  and  for 
which  Horace  Walpole,  it  is  said,  offered  thirty  tliousand  florins. 
In  the  great  square  is  a  lofty  Gothic  tower,  or  belfry,  the  most 
beautiful  in  Europe,  and  its  chimes,  or  carillons,  are  esteemed  the 
most  complete  and  harmonious  in  the  Netherlands.  They  are 
played  upon  every  quarter  of  an  hour.  On  particular  days  a  paid 
professor  of  music  performs.  Watchmen  are  constantly  posted  at 
the  top  of  this  tower,  to  make  alarm  signals  of  fire  by  ringing  a 
loud  bell,  and  exhibiting  in  the  day  a  flag,  and  in  the  night  a  lan- 
tern towards  the  point  wliither  the  engines  are  required  to  hasten, 


344  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


which  is  further  indicated  by  a  speaking-trumpet.  The  Jerusalem 
Church  is  n.  facsimile  of  the  Holy  Temple. 

Bruges,  in  common  with  all  towns  of  West  Flanders,  is  destitute 
of  spring-water,  so  that  the  inhabitants  are  obliged,  as  were  their 
ancestors  in  the  time  of  Pliny,  to  have  recourse  for  supplies  from 
the  clouds.  For  this  purpose,  every  house  is  provided  with  a  cis- 
tern for  collecting  rain  from  its  roof;  and  that  which  gathers  in 
the  ditches  of  the  ramparts  is  conveyed,  by  means  of  hydraulic 
machinery,  to  public  fountains,  or  tanks,  whence  it  is  distributed  in 
pipes  throughout  the  city. 

Speaking  of  its  former  grandeur,  —  the  records  of  luxurious 
banquets  and  apparel  at  that  period  are  almost  incredible.  Not 
only  the  dresses  of  men  and  women,  but  the  housings  of  their 
horses  were  of  velvet,  satm  and  gold,  profusely  spangled  with 
brilUant  jewels, — an  extravagance  which  Charles  V,  in  the  fol- 
lowing century,  was  obliged  to  suppress  by  enacting  sumptuary 
laws.  It  is  said  when  the  queen  of  Phillip  the  Bel,  of  France, 
visited  this  city  in  1300,  she  exclaimed  with  astonishment,  "  I  see 
hundreds  who  have  more  the  appearance  of  queens  than  myself." 

A  little  incident  on  reaching  Ostend,  illustrates  the  efficiency 
of  the  Belgian  police ;  and  the  same  trait  would  hold,  I  am  per- 
suaded, in  nearly  all  European  countries.  My  hotel  being  within 
a  few  I'ods  of  the  depot,  I  did  not  take  a  carriage,  but  was  walk- 
ing leisurely  forward  with  valise  in  hand,  when  a  man  approached 
and  clamorously  solicited  to  bear  my  baggage.  I  mildly  thanked 
him  for  his  offers,  but  observed  that  his  services  were  not  desired. 
Mistaking  my  easy  manner  for  amiable  weakness,  doubtless,  he 
laid  hold  of  my  valise,  at  the  same  time  walking  along  with  me, 
and  all  the  while  insisting  that  I  should  let  go.  A  police  officer 
observing  him,  stepped  up,  collared  my  new  acquaintance,  and,  in 
spite  of  his  remonstrances  and  petitions,  hurried  him  off  to  tlie 


BEER  DRINKING.  345 


watch-house.  The  traveller  in  Europe  is  struck  with  a  comfort- 
able feeling  of  security  in  noticing  all  around  the  external  eviden- 
ces of  order  and  quietness,  and  the  deference  and  respect  shown 
strangers,  even  by  the  officers  of  government ;  and  did  he  not  take 
a  mental  glance  behind  the  curtain,  and  see  the  immense  cost  by 
which  this  security  is  kept  up,  and  reflect  upon  the  influence  of 
arbitrary  government  upon  the  national  mind,  he  would  be  half 
in  danger  of  becoming  enamored  of  Royal  Institutions.  And 
when  a  foreigner,  long  accustomed  to  this  strictly-ruled  state  of 
things,  comes  to  our  shores,  and  is  exposed  to  the  recklessness  of 
abused  freedom,  it  is  no  wonder  that  he  cries  out  at  first  against 
free  institutions,  and  declares  a  Republican  Government  a  weak 
thing,  and  insufficient  to  protect  the  dear  interests  of  society. 

I  spent  the  evening  agreeably  in  a  very  respectable  estaminet, 
observing  the  manners  of  the  citizens.  It  was  liberally  patron- 
ized, and  the  guests,  who  had  the  appearance  of  regular  custom- 
ers, remained  in  general  till  a  late  hour.  In  dress  and  manners 
they  were  of  the  well-to-do  class,  advanced  in  years,  and  pursy. 
They  hastened  off  the  time  in  quiet  conversation,  smoking  pipes, 
and  drinking  ale  or  strong  beer ;  and  the  quantity  of  this  beve- 
rage each  disposed  of,  perfectly  amazed  me,  —  so  great,  that  I 
dare  not  say,  for  fear  of  not  being  credited.  I  could  not  have 
believed,  without  the  evidence  of  my  own  eyes,  that  even  their 
bulky  trunks  could  have  taken  up,  and  held  in  solution  —  allowing 
them  thoroughly  of  the  nature  of  sponge  —  such  vast  quantities 
of  the  turpid  liquid.  But  the  landlady  informed  me  the  next 
morning,  when  I  wonderingly  recounted  to  her  the  number  of 
glasses  I  had  observed  a  single  person  to  drink,  that  she  could  re- 
late to  me  even  larger  stories  of  the  same  kind.  Well,  in  the  face 
of  such  facts,  what,  thought  I,  becomes  of  dietetic  theories !  The 
Frenchman,  for  instance,  lives  in  a  great  measure  upon  highly 


346  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


concentrated  cofFee  :  the  Hollander  daily  soaks  his  bulky  person 
in  ale  ;  the  Englishman  gorges  his  capacious  stomach  with  roast 
beef;  while  other  races  live  principally  upon  vegetables  and  fruit; 
and  yet  all  these  varieties  of  people  span  about  the  same  length 
of  life.  Habits  so  different  seem  to  effect  little  more  than  differ- 
ences of  personal  appearance  and  temperament ;  but  they  show,  at 
least,  the  wonderful  power  of  adaptation  belonging  to  the  human 
system !  We  were  regaled  several  times  during  the  evening,  with 
the  musical  efforts  of  humble  troops  of  artists,  who,  after  having 
executed  a  few  popular  airs,  sent  around  the  reception-board 
among  the  guests  for  sous.  At  one  time  it  was  a  little  brother  and 
sister  who  constituted  the  band ;  at  another,  a  family  group,  includ- 
ing the  father  and  mother ;  then  again,  it  was  a  more  imposing 
array  of  talent,  in  the  form  of  a  chosen  number  of  artists.  But 
they  were  always  civil,  modest,  and  respectful.  Further,  their 
soft  and  stilly  manners,  as  they  gUded  noiselessly  into  the  room, 
unostentatiously  struck  up  their  sweet  airs,  just  at  the  time  to 
cause  no  mterruption  to  any  one,  and  then  quietly  retired,  betok- 
ened the  influence  of  their  musical  strams  upon  their  own  charac- 
ter. -  It  was  the  intuitive  politeness  which  music  ever  forms  in 
the  human  soul.  Their  humble  performances  formed  for  me  an 
agreeable  variety  to  the  evenmg's  occupation  ;  and  had  I  not  been 
on  the  latter  end  of  my  route,  should  doubtless  have  given  them 
quite  liberally.  To  be  frank,  I  must  confess  to  a  more  than  com- 
mon sympathy  with  these  strolling  empirics.  So  grovelUng  are 
made  the  pursuits  of  life,  that  I  have  ever  felt  thankful  at  heart 
to  whomsoever  was  drawing  up  even  but  drops  from  the  ocean 
fountain  of  concealed  delight,  to  gladden  the  weary  spirit.  If 
idlers  we  must  have,  let  them  be  of  no  worse  occupation.  It  must 
be  something  of  a  poetic  soul  to  find  congeniahty  in  the  calling. 
And  I  must  say  that  I  have  listened  to  strams  from  some  of  these 


FORTIFICATIONS  OF  OSTEND.  347 


unpretending  performers,  which  to  my  untutored  ear,  were  touch- 
ing and  delicious.  This,  too,  is  the  medium  through  which  some 
of  the  brightest  genius  has  found  its  way  to  the  soul  of  the  world, 
and  gained  the  enviable  fortune  of  thrilUng  it  with  emotions  of 
intense  pleasure. 

March  lUh.  I  had  time  in  the  morning  for  a  stroll  about  the 
town.  It  has  a  quaint  and  dilapidated  air.  Few  travellers  speak 
of  it  in  terms  of  praise,  still  it  is  regularly  and  neatly  built,  and 
presents  a  lively  appearance,  the  houses  being  painted  of  different 
colors.  An  interesting  feature  is  the  strong  fortifications,  consist- 
ing of  redoubtable  ramparts,  a  broad  ditch,  and  a  citadel.  Indeed 
these  time-grizzly  champions  possess  an  historical  interest.  Dur- 
ing the  ever-memorable  struggle  of  the  Dutch  to  emancipate 
themselves  from  the  blind  and  brutal  despotism  of  Old  Spain,  this 
little  town  sustained  one  of  the  most  celebrated  sieges  of  which 
history  has  preserved  any  account.  It  continued  from  the  fourth 
of  July,  IGOl,  to  the  twenty-eighth  of  September,  1604,  when  the 
garrison  capitulated  on  honorable  terms,  to  the  ablest  of  the  Span- 
ish leaders,  the  famous  Marquis  of  Spinola.  This  siege  is  sup- 
posed to  have  cost  the  contending  parties  the  lives  of  nearly  one 
hundred  thousand  men.  Situated  directly  upon  the  North  Sea,  it 
is  a  favorite  watering-place  of  the  Belgians,  and  is  sometimes  re- 
sorted to  by  the  royal  family.  This,  with  the  passengers  daily 
passing  through  here  on  the  new  line,  gives  to  the  place  an  ani- 
mating air. 

At  10  A.M.,  I  was  standing  upon  the  breakwater,  watching  the 
approach  from  the  offmg  of  a  steamer  from  Dover.  She  pn^'^ently 
glided  in  between  the  piers,  a  thing  of  life  ind(!ed.  The  English 
passengers  on  board,  encumbered  as  usual  with  luggage,  made 
strong  refjuisitions  upon  tlie  conveyance-resources  of  the  place. 
Beasts  of  burden,  vehicles  of  every  description,  even  shoulders  of 


848"  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


men  and  women,  piled  high,  presented  a  moving  chattel-house. 
The  ladies  of  the  company  struck  me  pleasingly.  Their  elegant 
figure,  rich  and  flowing  dress,  and  dignified  manner,  placed  them 
in  happy  contrast  with  the  Belgian  women.  Then  my  native 
language  in  their  mouth,  so  long  almost  a  stranger  to  my  ear !  It 
came  like  sweetest  music  to  my  soul.  The  very  tones  awoke  emo- 
tions impossible  to  describe. 

At  1 1  A.  M.,  I  was  standing  upon  the  deck  of  another  of  these 
graceful  little  steamers,  darting  out  from  the  capacious  harbor, 
upon  the  angry  bosom  of  the  stormy  North  Sea.  The  glorious 
Old  Continent,  big  with  the  riches  of  human  culture  and  experi- 
ence, was  receding  in  the  mellowing  distance.  The  last  page  had 
been  turned,  and  the  book  closed,  of  another  volume  of  life.  But 
how  precious  its  gleaming !  What  a  treasure  of  delight  will  it 
not  furnish  of  future  reminiscences. 

On  we  sped  at  the  rate  of  twelve  or  fourteen  miles  an  hour. 
Our  steamer,  a  fair  sample  of  those  on  the  line,  was  small,  but  of 
elegant  model.  The  passages  across  the  bleak  Strait  are  often 
necessarily  stormy,  but  not  a  single  accident  had  yet  happened  to 
the  hne,  —  owing,  in  part,  to  the  extreme  precaution  of  the  con- 
ductors of  the  boats.  These  are  well  manned,  and  officered  by  a 
naval  gentleman ;  and  in  all  the  arrangements,  nothing  is  left  to 
chance.  There  were  some  fifteen  of  us  in  number  on  boai'd,  a 
mere  handful  compared  with  the  thronging  crowds  pluming  the 
decks  of  the  gay  floating  palaces  on  our  "Western  waters.  About 
two-thirds  of  this  number  occupied  the  stern  cabin,  —  a  neat,  cozy 
apartment,  snugly  under  deck ;  while  the  remainder  waived  the 
honor  of  being  in  the  best  style,  from  the  claims  of  economy,  and 
made  their  quarters  in  the  forecastle.  Presently  a  brisk  breeze 
sprang  up  from  the  south-west,  raising  up  a  short  sea,  and  cresting 
their  breezy  ridges.     The  sky  remained  clear,  but  blue,  and  the 


CROSSING  THE  CHANNEL.  349 


air  raw  and  piercing.  These  features  of  the  scene,  —  the  severe 
aspect  of  the  heavens,  the  chilly  touch  of  the  air,  and  the  shiver- 
ing look  of  the  wet  expanse,  were  enough  to  make  me  remember 
the  old  North  Sea  with  icy  feelings.  Our  modest  little  boat,  how- 
ever, held  on  steadily  her  way,  nodding  over  the  yeasty  seas  with 
duck-like  security.  Several  of  our  passengers  in  due  time  com- 
menced casting  their  reckoning  with  old  Neptune,  who  seemed  in- 
exorable in  his  exactions.  Such  of  us  as  had  better  sea-legs,  well 
wrapped  in  clothing,  paced  as  best  we  could  the  deck,  and,  per- 
chance, strove  to  draw  each  other  out  in  conversation.  Several  of 
the  passengers  were  English,  but  they  were  able  to  converse  in 
French  with  fluency ;  and  one  of  them  informed  me  that  the  edu- 
cated classes  in  England  all  learn  that  language  as  a  common  and 
useful  branch  of  education.  We  had  on  board  one  of  the  Dover 
pilots,  on  his  return  from  having  taken  a  foreign  ship  through  the 
Straits  to  Hamburg,  This  business  employs  a  considerable  class. 
American  ships,  also,  in  passing  through  the  treacherous  sea,  not 
unfrequently  take  pilots.  The  navigation  of  the  sea  is  justly  re- 
garded as  dangerous,  there  being  numerous  undisclosed  sand-bars, 
not  indicated  by  beacons.  Of  these  merciless  strands,  justly 
enough  dreaded  by  mariners,  the  Goodwin  Sands  are  the  most 
noted.  Our  pilot  passenger  was  a  genial,  entertaining  old  fellow. 
He  possessed  a  ready  fund  of  general  information,  and  was  by  no 
means  unwilling  to  give  us  a  peep  into  his  amply  garnered  store- 
house. He  was  indeed  none  of  your  oyster-class  of  travellers. 
In  his  ambulations,  the  government  of  his  own  country,  her  insti- 
tutions and  society,  came  in  for  a  place  in  his  discursive  survey. 
He  acknowledged,  truthfully  enough,  that  the  British  Executive 
was  an  adroit  power.  It  managed  the  vast  empire  with  consum- 
mate success,  ever  keeping  its  unwearied  eye  intent  on  the  main 
chance.     National  greatness  was  its  triumphant  goal,  and  univer- 

30 


350  CEESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


sal  dominion  the  potent  spell  of  its  genius.  It  had  little  deep, 
genuine  sympathy  with  the  toiling,  panting  masses  ;  but  its  thor- 
ough feehng  of  self-respect,  its  national  pride,  its  glowing  desire 
of  progress,  forced  it  to  a  decent  regard  for  the  urgent  rights  of 
the  laboring  poor.  As  for  the  vigilant  claims  of  the  middling 
classes,  this  lynx-eyed  government  had  full  employment  for  its 
astute  powers  ;  but  it  managed,  nevertheless,  to  keep  the  advanc- 
ing, exacting  element  within  control :  now  yielding,  and  again 
pushing  forward,  ever  seizing  an  opportunity,  just  like  some  skil- 
ful champion  in  complete  contest  with  a  powerful  antagonist.  Our 
talkative  companion  let  out  upon  the  sins  of  the  English  Govern- 
ment with  a  freedom  of  speech  that  would  hardly  have  been  par- 
donable in  the  citizen  of  a  Republic.  Still,  the  sincere-souled  old 
tar  carried  below  a  loyal  heart,  —  what  Englishman  does  not  ? 
According  to  him,  England  was,  of  course,  infinitely  the  greatest 
country  in  the  world ;  her  institutions  the  most  perfect,  and  her 
people  the  guiding  stars  in  the  heavens  of  intellectual  and  moral 
splendor. 

The  low,  flat,  French  coast  had  scarcely  merged  from  view  be- 
low the  horizon,  when  the  bold  cliffs  of  Dover  greeted  our  vision. 
The  distance  across  from  Ostend  to  Dover  is  sixty  miles,  but  from 
Dover  to  the  nearest  point  on  the  French  coast,  it  is  no  more  than 
twenty-one  miles.  Truly  but  a  narrow  space  separates  these  two 
powerful,  enhghtened  nations ;  yet  in  feeling,  manner,  and  taste, 
they  inhabit  different  shores  of  an  impassible  gulf.  At  first  view, 
it  would  seem  easy  for  a  well-appointed  French  expedition  to 
seize  a  favorable  opportunity,  cross  the  narrow  strait,  make  a  sud- 
den and  unexpected  descent  upon  the  island,  and  make  a  con- 
quest of  it.  "We  know  that  the  Normans  did  this  in  an  earher 
age.  We  are  told  that  a  similar  project  occupied,  for  a  long  time, 
the  gigantic  intellect  of  Napoleon.     That  the  English,  even  to 


DOVER.  351 

this  day,  have  apprehensions  on  that  score,  there  can  be  no  doubt. 
As  a  fact  in  evidence  of  this,  let  me  adduce,  that  in  the  Fall  of 
1847,  a  letter  written  by  the  late  Duke  of  Wellington  to  a  friend, 
in  which  he  candidly  expresses  the  opinion,  that  the  uncommon 
activity  which  happened  then  to  be  going  on  in  the  French  naval 
yards,  had,  for  spring  of  movement,  a  contemplated  invasion  of 
England.  This  letter  somehow  found  its  way  into  the  public 
prints,  and  its  contents  created  a  sensation  in  England,  such  as 
had  not  been  witnessed  for  many  a  year.  To  have  seen  the  stir 
it  made,  one  might  have  supposed  that  every  Englishman  fancied 
a  French  rapier  about  to  be  thrust  into  his  coporeal  man.  One 
dignified  London  editor  declared,  that  "  no  doubt  there  was  not  a 
Frenchman  in  the  kingdom  that  would  not  hail,  with  a  yell  of 
savage  delight,  the  opportunity  to  gloat  his  incarnate  enmity  in 
the  effusion  of  English  blood." 

As  we  neared  the  English  coast,  the  wind  moderated,  the  sea 
became  smooth,  and  a  thin  smoky  haze  hung  over  the  verge  of  the 
land,  just  to  place  it  in  fine  relief.  The  soil  on  this  part  of  the 
coast  is  of  chalky  formation ;  the  land  is  high,  and  the  coast 
abrupt,  giving  a  bold  and  picturesque  view  to  the  whole.  A  little 
to  the  north  of  the  town,  on  the  most  elevated  part,  frowns  the 
renowned  castle  of  Dover.  The  entire  scene  was  fine  on  entering 
the  harbor.  The  placid  and  lovely  bosom  of  the  sea,  the  quiet 
and  arrowy  movement  of  our  boat  cutting  the  blue  surface,  the 
unique  and  imposing  view  of  the  land  before  us,  the  old  castle  up 
above  us  at  the  right,  tlic  tlironging  of  citizens  on  the  quay  to 
greet  our  arrival,  the  thrilling  liistorical  associations  of  the  place, 
all  greatly  heightened  in  my  own  bosom  by  the  spell-bound  tie  of 
home,  with  which  the  soil  of  England  is  linked,  gave  elevation 
and  lustre  to  the  emotions  of  the  moment.  The  harbor,  which 
is  within  the  town,  is  quite  unworthy  the  ancient  reputation  of  the 


352  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


port.  It  is  small,  and  the  entrance  to  it  being  narrow,  between 
two  piers,  great  caution  is  required  in  entering  in  rough  weather. 
It  is  only  a  tide  harbor,  and  a  few  years  ago  the  bar  at  its  en- 
trance had  accumulated  so  much,  that  it  was  feared  that  it  would 
be  entirely  choked  up ;  but  great  improvements  have  since  been 
effected.  I  was  not  favorably  impressed  with  the  dexterity  of  our 
captain  in  getting  our  boat  into  the  harbor.  He  made  clumsy 
work  of  it,  though  the  boat  was  small,  entirely  manageable,  the 
water  smooth,  and  all  other  apparent  circumstances  favorable. 
The  awkward  delay  was  the  more  noticeable,  as  in  the  grave  and 
explicit  announcements  of  the  company  the  captain  was  set  forth 
as  a  first-class  naval  officer,  of  high  nautical  education  and  expe- 
rience. I  thought  any  of  our  green  yankee  captains  would  have 
done  infinitely  better.  On  arrival,  the  luggage  of  all  the  pas- 
sengers was  immediately  taken  charge  of  by  commissioners  ap- 
pointed by  the  government,  and  conveyed  by  them  to  the  custom 
house  depot,  there  to  undergo  a  search.  The  inspection  over,  the 
luggage  is  conveyed  by  the  same  authorities  to  any  place  in  port 
you  may  designate.  For  this  interfering  care  you  are  required  to 
pay  quite  freely.  For  three  small  pieces  I  was  taxed  thirty-seven 
and  a  half  cents.  If  anything  contraband  is  discovered,  it  is  forth- 
with confiscated,  part  to  the  government,  and  part  to  the  officers 
who  make  the  discovery,  and  the  owner  thereof  is  heavily  fined 
or  imprisoned.  One  of  our  party  was  so  unlucky  as  to  fall  into 
the  limhoes  of  these  hawk-eyed  limbs  of  the  law.  He  was  a  Ger- 
man, from  Frankfort.  His  dress,  manner,  and  intelligence  be- 
spoke him  a  gentleman.  No  ordinary  observer  could  have  thought 
him  capable  of  so  mean  a  thing,  as  an  attempt  at  smuggling ;  but 
the  trained  vision  of  the  officers  of  the  government  knows  where 
to  look  for  the  rogues.  While  the  rest  of  us  were  allowed  to  pass 
freely  ashore,  our  German  companion  was  at  once  singled  out  as 


SMUGGLING.  353 


a  suspicious  person.  He  was  superbly  dressed,  wearing  over  sev- 
eral other  garments  a  rich  cloak,  deeply  trimmed  with  velvet  and 
fir.  As  he  stepped  on  the  quay,  an  officer  walked  up  to  him,  and 
found  under  either  arm,  hidden  by  his  cloak,  several  thousand  of 
the  nicest  cigars.  On  opening  his  trunks  at  the  custom-house, 
they  found  more  of  the  same  precious  article.  The  unfortunate 
man  could  say  nothing  for  himself,  and  looked  chop-fallen  to  the 
last  degree.  We  called  him  a  foolish  fellow,  and  were  disposed  to 
show  him  pity.  But  the  officers  took  a  different  view  of  the  case. 
They  explained  his  bold,  and  apparently  unconscious  manner,  as  a 
shrewd  trick  of  the  experienced  smuggler.  His  penalty  was  a 
heavy  one ;  but  the  officers,  with  a  praiseworthy  good-will,  suc- 
ceeded in  making  it  comparatively  light.  Let  me  say,  in  justice 
to  these  gentlemen,  that  they  appeared  to  take  no  pleasure  in  dis- 
covering contraband  articles,  nor  to  enforce  the  law  in  its  rigor, 
when  in  their  power  to  do  so.  They  certainly  appeared  different 
from  the  character  often  ascribed  to  the  class  of  custom-house  of- 
ficers. In  alluding  jocosely  to  the  possibility  of  finding  something 
among  my  own  baggage  of  a  contraband  nature,  one  of  them  by 
my  side  promptly  answered,  "  We  do  not  expect  to.  We  never 
detect  the  American  traveller  in  such  low  tricks.  They  are  en- 
tirely too  honorable  and  noble  minded  for  that." 

I  felt  grateful  for  the  compliment ;  especially,  as  I  had  no  doubt 
of  his  sincerity.  He  told  me  that  such  attempts  at  smuggling 
were  by  no  means  rare,  and  the  actual  amount  of  confiscated 
goods  in  the  course  of  the  year  was  not  inconsiderable,  —  and  this, 
too,  in  the  face  of  the  law  in  all  its  rigor.  Persons  were  often  de- 
tected of  whom  better  things  would  be  expected;  and  more  strange 
still,  as  the  advantage  in  prospect  bore  no  proportion  to  the  risk. 
They  were  disposed  to  be  accommodating  to  such  as  had  with 
tliem  only  purchased-articlcs  of  wardrobe  in  reasonable  quantities 

30* 


354  CRESTS  FROM  THE   OCEAN-WORLD. 

for  themselves,  and  even  for  friends, — such  as  gloves,  silk  dresses, 
velvet  mantillas,  etc.  Dover  is  a  likely  place  to  meet  with  petty- 
smuggling,  by  travellers,  being  one  of  the  principal  places  of  first- 
landing  from  the  Continent.  Brussels  lace  is  the  more  frequent 
article  that  seeks  to  secrete  its  way,  and  this,  because  of  its  expen- 
siveness  and  the  ease  with  which  it  can  be  hidden  from  view. 

A  stranger  is  required  to  call  at  the  Alien  Office,  and  take  a 
certificate  of  arrival,  for  which  the  charge  is  nothing.  Li  the  delay 
of  removing  my  luggage,  I  stepped  into  a  small  hotel  for  a  lunch. 
Here  I  felt  again,  most  delightfully,  the  idea  of  home,  to  which  I 
had  been  a  stranger  for  several  months.  The  room  I  ate  in  was 
a  kind  of  a  carpeted  parlor,  with  a  glowing  coal-fire  in  the  hearth, 
and  every  thing  about  the  apartment  gleaming  with  neatness,  not 
excepting  the  youthful  landlady,  the  brightest  of  all  —  neat,  rosy, 
and  gladsome,  —  a  most  enviable  looking  wife,  as  well  as  dame. 
And  here  let  me  say,  I  was  struck  with  the  superior  good  looks  of 
the  ladies  whom  I  accidentally  passed  in  the  streets  of  Dover. 

On  account  of  our  protracted  passage  across  the  strait,  we  were 
too  late  for  the  express-train,  which  traverses  the  distance  of  eighty- 
six  miles  in  two  hours.  This  I  sorely  regretted,  but  it  afforded 
me  time  to  look  around  upon  the  famous  Dover  Castle.  It  is  on 
an  eminence  bounding  the  south-east  side  of  the  valley,  and  com- 
prises an  immense  collection  of  ancient  and  modern  works,  occupy- 
ing an  area  of  about  thirty  acres.  It  is  approached  by  a  bold 
ascent,  but  is  itself  commanded  by  the  higher  ground  on  the  west 
and  south-west.  There  are  remains  of  ramparts,  and  of  a  temple, 
bath,  and  Pharos,  supposed  to  be  of  Roman  construction.  Pre- 
viously to  the  last  French  war,  the  works  were  much  dilapidated, 
but  they  were  then  repaired  and  greatly  augmented.  There  are 
upper  and  lower  courts,  surrounded  (except  towards  the  sea),  by 
curtains  and  large,  dry  ditches.     In  the  centre  of  the  former  is  a 


FROM  DOVER  TO  LONDON.  355 

Bpacious  keep,  built  by  Henry  III,  and  now  forming  a  bomb-proof 
magazine.  The  curtain  of  the  lower  court  is  flanked,  at  irregular 
intervals,  by  ten  towers  of  various  construction  ;  the  oldest,  built 
by  Earl  Goodwin ;  the  others,  built  at  different  times  during  the 
Norman  dynasty ;  with  these,  subterraneous  passages  communicate 
from  the  ditch.  There  are,  also,  four  or  five  ancient  wells,  ex- 
cavated to  the  depth  of  three  hundred  and  seventy  feet.  The 
modern  works  consist  of  batteries,  with  heavy  artillery  casements, 
covered  ways,  a  large  vault,  etc.,  —  excavated  in  the  chalk,  —  bar- 
racks, etc.,  capable  of  lodging  two  thousand  troops.  The  late 
Duke  of  Wellington  was  Constable  of  the  Castle. 

Dover  comprises  what  is  termed  the  "  old,"  and  "  new  town." 
The  latter  is  built  chiefly  for  the  reception  of  strangers,  large 
numbers  of  whom  throng  the  place  during  the  bathing  season.  It 
has  a  neat  and  interesting  appearance.  The  old  part  of  the  town, 
on  the  contrary,  is  irregular,  and  the  streets  narrow  and  ill-kept ; 
but  the  whole  is  obviously  improving,  and  building-lots  are  said  to 
be  in  great  request.  You  are  besieged  here  as  elsewhere,  all 
over  the  world,  by  porters  and  idlers,  for  the  favor  of  relieving 
you  of  luggage.  The  to^vn  is  made  the  residence  of  several 
wealthy  gentlemen. 

At  a  quarter  past  six  in  the  afternoon,  we  left  for  London  in  the 
slow  train,  which  takes  four  hours  to  make  the  passage.  In  a  mo- 
ment after  leaving,  we  entered  the  long  tunnel  which  leads  under 
the  bold  bluff  upon  the  verge  of  the  coast,  termed  Shakspeare's 
Cliff.  We  then  glided,  for  some  time,  along  upon  the  very  brink 
of  the  precipitous  coast.  The  quiet  Nortli  Channel  was  away 
down  below  us,  and  vessels  on  its  tranquil  bosom  appeared  as  the 
tiny  crafts  which  the  boy  is  wont  to  sport  with  in  the  narrow 
streams  of  his  home.  Our  company  was  of  very  respectable  ap- 
pearance, but  sedate  in  their  manners, —  very  unlike  a  French 


356  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


assembly.  I  was  nearly  deprived  of  the  pleasing  views  of 
English  rural  scenery,  from  the  lateness  of  our  passage  ;  but  we 
passed,  before  being  quite  enveloped  in  the  gray  folds  of  eve- 
ning, several  charming  villas,  delightfully  embowered  in  trees  and 
shrubbery.  We  were  at  length  set  down  in  London,  at  half-past 
ten  in  the  evening,  near  the  south-end  of  London  Bridge.  I  was 
directed  to  a  kind  of  restaurant,  where,  besides  meals  at  all  hours, 
they  furnished  transient  people  lodgings.  Here  I  was  conducted 
to  a  neat  and  comfortable  parlor,  in  the  second-story,  in  which  I 
met  an  elderly  lady,  well-dressed,  and  of  highly  intelligent  bear- 
ing. Immediately,  and  without  reserve,  she  entered  into  free  and 
intelligent  conversation  with  me  ;  and  when  she  learned  that  I  was 
in  Paris  in  the  first  of  the  revolution,  and  was  personally  a  witness 
of  some  of  its  most  thrilling  scenes,  her  curiosity  and  uiterest  were 
almost  without  bounds.  The  most  trivial  detail  of  the  grand  event 
was  seized  upon  by  her  ardent  nature  as  if  it  were  of  real  impor- 
tance. We  conversed  till  a  late  hour  upon  various  subjects; 
yet,  I  could  not  learn,  without  subjecting  myself  to  the  imputation 
of  rudeness,  anything  of  her  personal  history,  —  not  even  of  what 
country  she  was  ;  —  but  by  this  trait  alone,  I  should  have  guessed 
her  to  be  English. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

LOXDOX BEGGARS  —  TOWER  OF  LONDOX  —  DUNGEON  —  CROWN- 
JEWELS —  ST.  Paul's — sir  Christopher  avren — the  Thames 

TUNNEL  —  RIVER  STEAMERS  —  TRAFALGAR  SQUARE  —  NELSON 
MONUMENT  —  BRITISH  MUSEUM  —  WEST-END  —  BUCKINGHAM 
PALACE  —  WESTMINSTER    ABBEY  —  PARKS. 

March  loth.  Really  in  London — the  big,  beating  heart  of  the 
British  empire,  and  the  emporium  of  the  civilized  world !  I  took 
an  early  morning  stroll  for  first  impressions.  The  first  idea  with 
which  I  was  forcibly  struck,  was  the  solid,  massive  character 
which  pervaded  every  thing.  The  huge  bridges  across  the  Thames, 
the  lofty  public  and  private  edifices,  —  even  the  vehicles  which 
traverse  the  streets,  have  an  air  of  strength  and  durability  entirely 
national. 

Almost  the  first  person  I  met  in  London  was  a  beggar.  I  had 
but  just  taken  the  last  step  in  crossing  London  Bridge,  when 
I  was  almost  struck  aghast  at  the  appearance  before  me  of  a 
human  form,  emaciated  to  the  last  degree,  and  his  whole  frame 
trembling  as  if  unable  to  stand  erect.  He  seemed  the  dire  vestige 
of  life  !  He  held  up  with  his  hand  a  thin  piece  of  board  upon  which 
was  written,  in  chalk  letters,  "/a;n  starving  for  want  of  bread/" 
A  gentleman  before  me  handed  him,  in  passing,  a  penny,  which 
the  starving  man  slijjped  into  his  pocket  with  an  adroitness,  that 
struck  me  as  not  natural.     1  handed  him  another,  which  was  dis- 


358  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


posed  of  in  a  similar  manner.  I  now  began  to  comprehend  that 
he  must  be  one  of  the  numerous  professional  beggars  with  which 
the  city  is  sorely  infested.  And  he  was  certainly  a  most  consum- 
mate counterfeit. 

Beggary  is  a  marked  feature  in  London  scenery.  Its  sickening 
sight  is  everywhere  before  the  eye  of  the  stranger,  and  some  of 
its  details  are  so  revolting,  as  to  curdle  the  life-blood  of  one's  nature. 
Mere  skeletons  of  human  beings  may  be  seen,  with  barely  enough 
clothing  to  hide  their  shrivelled  forms,  and  that  so  tattered  and  filthy 
as  to  outrage  common  decency  ;  some  maimed,  others  deformed,  or 
disfigured,  sitting  upon  the  cold  pavement,  reclining  upon  the  steps 
of  doors,  and  even  crawling  upon  the  pavement,  uttering  moans, 
and  beseeching  you  to  give  something  for  their  famishing  nature ; 
—  women  without  shoes,  or  covering  for  the  head,  and  with  rags, 
for  the  rest  of  the  body,  barely  enough  for  decency,  —  with  half- 
naked  children  in  their  arms,  out  in  the  muddy  streets,  or  lying  in 
some  corner  with  the  rain  pattering  upon  their  emaciated  faces. 

Such  is  a  meagre  outline  of  a  picture  that  is  ever  before  the 
stranger,  at  every  turn,  and  at  all  times  of  the  day  and  night,  in 
the  opulent  and  benevolent  city  of  London !  The  features  of  the 
picture  receive  a  more  appalling  hue,  when  contrasted  with  the 
comfortable  luxuriousness  and  splendor  pervading  the  West  End 
of  the  city,  —  the  residence  of  the  aristocracy.  In  view  of  the 
contrast,  the  mind  is  staggered  in  contemplatmg  the  marvellous 
inequalities  of  human  condition,  and  one  is  almost  led  to  murmur 
at  the  Divine  economy  which  permits,  that  while  one  mortal  can 
roll  in  luxury,  with  an  utter  inability  to  spend  his  princely  income, 
another  human  being  of  the  same  great  family  of  man,  must  live 
and  suffer,  dragging  slowly  out  a  miserable  existence,  deprived  of 
the  small  means  necessary  even  to  protect  his  body  from  the 
pinching  of  hunger  and  the  piercing  of  cold. 


BEGGARS  IN  LONDON.  359 


The  most  obdurate  heart  is  at  first  melted  with  pity,  in  -witnes- 
sing such  scenes.  The  sympathies  of  his  whole  nature  are 
aroused ;  and  he  gives  for  the  first  few  days  freely.  He  soon, 
however,  comes  to  bethink  himself,  and  will  reason  something  in 
this  wise  :  "  Suppose  I  continue  to  give  even  in  the  smallest  sums, 
and  only  to  such  as  appear  the  most  urgent  cases,  I  should  soon 
empty  my  own  purse,  —  and  had  I  the  wealth  of  CrcESUs,  it  would 
hardly  suffice.  And  then,  should  I  be  certain  of  giving  with  pru- 
dence ?  Are  not  those  appearing  the  more  needy  cases,  often  mere 
counterfeits,  while  the  real  cases  of  distress  are  hidden  from  view  ?" 
After  appeasing  the  clamorings  of  his  conscience  by  such  reason- 
ings, he  resolves  to  give  no  more,  —  and  ever  afterwards  holds 
tight  his  purse-strings,  unless  indeed  some  dreadful  case  thrills 
every  fibre  of  his  sympathetic  being,  and  renders  it  quite  impos- 
sible to  hold  back. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  beggary  is  a  broad,  festering  sore  on 
the  great  London  body,  unsightly  to  the  eye,  and  poisonous  to  its 
vitality.  Of  the  actual  amount  of  beggary,  I  am  not  in  possession 
of  accurate  statistics,  but  it  must  be  very  great.  It  is  distinguished 
into  pauperism  and  mendicity ;  the  former  comprising  the  truly 
needy,  and  the  latter,  such  as  pursue  it  as  a  regular  trade,  or  pro- 
fessional beggars.  These  latter  comprise  by  far  the  more  numerous 
class,  and  English  authorities  give  it  as  nine  to  one,  —  that  is,  out 
of  every  ten  beggars,  nine  are  mendicants,  or  professional  beggars, 
that  pursue  the  calling  as  a  regular  branch  of  business.  I  am 
inclined  to  think,  however,  that  the  statement  is  exaggerated,  un- 
less it  be  meant  to  include  only  the  street  beggars  ;  for  many  of 
the  real  cases  of  indigence  arc  hidden  from  view.  The  mendi- 
cants pursue  their  way  of  life  witli  notorious  audacity.  They 
have  a  saying  among  them,  that  "  it  is  a  hard  street  that  will  not 
yield  one  penny,  and  he  is  a  lazy  beggar  who  will  not  traverse 


360  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


sixty  streets  a  day."  This  would  make  some  one  hundred  and  fif- 
teen cents  per  day. 

The  Mendicant  Society  have  labored  usefully  in  exposing  the 
impositions  of  mendicants  ;  but  neither  their  agents  nor  the  new 
police  have  been  able  to  suppress  them.  This  class  are  gross  im- 
postors, and  convicted  vagrants  ;  and  of  these,  the  very  worst  are 
the  blind  and  cripples.  Their  profligacy,  and  the  inveteracy  of 
their  idle  and  dishonest  habits,  almost  constitute  them  so  many 
criminals.  The  metropolitan  police,  in  1837,  apprehended  four 
thousand  three  hundred  mendicants.  The  private  lodgings  of  this 
class  are  crowded,  unwholesome,  and  literally  sinks  of  iniquity. 

Still,  admitting  that  much  of  the  beggary  seen  in  London  is 
mendicity,  there  is  yet  enough  of  real  suffering.  Cases  come  to 
light  now  and  then,  appalling  enough  to  make  the  very  heart 
bleed  with  commiseration.  A  lady  informed  me,  that  a  woman 
of  ker  acquaintance,  who  had  lost  her  husband  some  time  before, 
found  herself  without  means  of  support,  and  reduced  to  the  ex- 
tremity of  sewing,  to  support  herself  and  family.  Her  health, 
never  strong,  was  now  every  day  becoming  more  fragile  in  conse- 
quence of  undue  application.  She  had  been  forced  to  part  with 
every  article  of  furniture,  and  had  even  disposed  of  her  bible  and 
wedding  ring,  and  was  then  wasting  toward  an  untimely  grave. 
The  Poor  House  was  indeed  before  her,  and  so  was  the  grave ;  and 
she  preferred  the  latter  to  the  former.  Reared  as  the  daughter 
of  a  wealthy  gentleman,  her  pride  rebelled  at  such  humbling, 
and  her  whole  nature  shrunk  at  the  idea  of  the  degradations  of 
the  Poor  House. 

Another  dreadful  case,  sickening  even  to  the  contemplation,  is 
before  my  mind.  The  two  only  children  of  a  cobler  died  in  his 
house.  Too  poor  himself  to  incur  the  expense  of  their  decent 
sepulture,  he  applied  to  the  proper  authorities  for  aid  from  the 


CASES  OF  EXTREME  MISERY.  361 


city.  This  was  denied  him  on  the  ground  of  his  'possessing  arti- 
cles of  personal  property  of  more  value  than  to  entitle  him  to  relief 
from  the  government.  The  few  articles  of  last  necessity  actu- 
ally in  his  possession,  being  of  a  nature  not  transferable  for  cash, 
he  applied  for  permission  to  bury  the  decomposing  bodies  in  the 
narrow  garden  adjoining  his  shop.  But  this,  of  course,  was  denied 
him.  The  offensive  corpses  remained  in  this  condition  in  his  room, 
until  some  gentleman  accidentally  passing,  was  so  struck  by  the 
disagreeable  stench,  as  to  be  led  to  enter,  to  learn  whence  it  pro- 
ceeded. His  astonishment  may  be  imagined,  on  finding  two  bodies 
in  the  most  loathsome  condition,  and  the  little  room  filled  with 
virulent  miasma.  To  his  demand  why  they  had  not  been  inter- 
red, the  half-deranged  father  replied,  "  My  good  sir,  I  would  have 
rejoiced  to  bury  them  in  a  hole  like  dogs,  had  I  been  penaitted  to 
do  so."  It  is  needless  to  add,  that  the  case  was  then  promptly 
cared  for.  I  learned  this  from  persons  who  were  eye-witnesses 
of  the  scene.  It  was  also  published  in  one  of  the  London  jour- 
nals, the  Times,  I  think.  This  is  doubtless  an  extreme  case ;  but 
it  will  not  be  denied,  there  are  enough  others  coming  to  light  every 
day,  Avhich,  if  not  so  strange  as  this,  are  yet  dreadful  to  think  of. 
Indeed,  I  was  assured  by  English  gentlemen  themselves,  of  high 
respectability,  that  no  human  tongue  could  adequately  desciibe  the 
heart-ap[)alling  miseries  of  the  poor  of  London. 

Much  of  this  misery  may  doubtless  be  attributed  more  to  de- 
moralization than  mere  misfortune.  Still,  there  must  ever  be 
much  of  the  latter.  Where  condition  of  life  is  so  strictly  ruled, 
and  struggle  for  pecuniary  means  so  intense  as  in  London,  there 
is  left  the  merest  chance  to  regain  a  lost  foothold  upon  the  ladder 
of  panting  existence.  Where  society  is  so  pressed  into  time-worn 
ruts,  the  vicissitudes  of  life  fall  with  fatal  effect.  Nor  is  there 
apy  relief  from  dire  extremity  by  flying  into  the  country.     There, 

31 


362  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


every  foot  of  land  is  appropriated,  with  no  opportunity  for  a  sec- 
ond occupant.  No  alternative  is  left,  then,  to  the  unfortunate,  but 
to  pine  away  in  dejection,  or  to  emigrate  to  the  New  World; 
but  the  greater  part  have  not  even  the  means  for  this. 

It  is  easier  to  depict  the  mammoth  evil,  than  to  devise  a  remedy 
for  its  relief.  To  this  end,  wise  heads  and  benevolent  hearts  have 
already  made  fruitless  efforts.  Individual  benevolence  has  copi- 
ously shed  its  sweet  pearl-drops  to  assuage  the  misery.  Combined 
benevolence,  in  the  form  of  societies,  has  poured  in  its  refresh- 
ing showers  to  abate  the  evil,  but  all  these  have  been  swallowed 
up  in  the  monstrous  vortex,  like  the  merest  heaven-drops  by  the 
choking  earth,  leaving  hardly  a  momentary  impress.  The  power- 
ful and  skilful  arm  of  the  government,  too,  has  deployed  its  ener- 
gies, but  without  success,  —  and  the  evil  continues  to  go  on  with 
appalhng  strides. 

In  the  afternoon,  made  a  visit  to  the  famous  London  Tower, 
strongly  associated  in  my  mind  with  many  a  sad  memento  in  the 
dark  annals  of  English  history.  "We  awaited  a  half  hour  in  the 
office  where  we  purchased  our  tickets  for  thirty-seven  and  a  half 
cents.  When  our  number  had  sufficiently  increased  to  make  it  an 
object  for  the  attendant  to  show  us  the  place,  we  were  led  on  by 
him,  and  conducted  through  the  different  parts  of  the  grim  edifice, 
in  a  precise  and  hurried  manner.  He  made  explanations  of  the 
different  objects  in  our  way,  but  so  rapidly  as  to  prove  nearly  un- 
intelligible. Thus  to  run  through  a  place  filled  with  so  many  and 
deep  historical  recollections,  is  the  most  unsatisfactory  possible. 
The  mind  loves  to  linger  around  the  storied  spot,  to  contemplate 
leisurely  the  existing  memorials  of  tragical  events,  and  yield  to 
the  gentle  melancholy  which  the  scene  awakens.  The  rooms  of 
historical  armory  were  an  interesting  feature.  Here  were  ranged 
in  convenient  order,  the  armors  worn  by  warriors  of  different 


TOWER  OF  LONDON.  363 


grades,  from  the  earliest  period,  up  to  the  time  when  the  use  of 
gunpowder  rendered  these  unwieldly  coverings  a  useless  appen- 
dage. The  mails  of  the  most  renowned  military  characters  were 
pointed  out ;  and  some  of  these  were  huge  and  heavy  beyond  be- 
hef.  Their  weight  alone  must  have  required  great  physical 
power  to  have  borne  them  up  ;  and  we  were  told,  that  often  these 
armor-clad  chieftains,  when  thrown  from  their  horses,  were  either 
crushed  by  the  weight  of  their  mail,  or  unable  to  rise  under  its 
enormous  weight.  We  were  shown,  too,  the  weapons  corresjjond- 
ing  to  the  mails,  from  the  huge  battle-axe,  the  iron-toothed  club, 
for  merciless  blows  upon  the  head,  the  blunt-pointed  spear  for  un- 
horsing, to  the  more  modern  broad-sword.  Terrible  must  have 
been  the  concussion  of  two  bold  and  athletic  chieftains  thus  clad 
and  armed,  upon  strong  and  impetuous  war-horses  ! 

We  passed  into  a  room  used  formerly  for  the  prison.  Here 
several  royal  personages,  highest  nobles,  and  most  distinguished 
commoners  of  England  awaited  in  terrible  silence  then-  fate,  either 
by  the  hands  of  the  executioner,  or  by  the  dagger  and  bowl  of 
the  assassin.  We  were  shown  here  the  identical  block  upon  which 
Lady  Jane  Gray  was  beheaded,  and  the  axe  that  separated  from 
the  body  her  youthful  head,  and  sent  her  sweet  and  noble  spirit 
direct  to  heaven.  Neither  the  axe  nor  block  is  curious  enough 
lor  a  dissertation.  The  former  is  in  the  shape  of  a  carpenter's 
broad-axe,  only  smaller ;  the  latter,  little  more  than  a  billet  of 
wood,  on  end,  perhaps  two  feet  in  height,  of  narrow  form,  and  op- 
posite edges  scolloped  to  receive  the  shoulders  of  the  victim.  We 
were  shown  the  cell  adjoining  this  room,  where  was  immersed  for 
thirteen  years  the  illustrious  Sir  Walter  Raleigh.  Here  the  heroic 
prisoner  devoted  himself  to  literary  pursuit?-,  and  composed  several 
works,  among  them  his  famous  History  of  the  World.     The  walls 


364  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


of  the  dungeon,  we  were  told,  are  sixteen  feet  thick,  of  well-joined 
and  cemented  pieces  of  stone. 

In  the  Jewel  Office  we  had  a  glimpse  of  the  Crown-Jewels. 
They  are  nicely  enclosed  in  an  immense  glass  case,  and  comprise 
the  crown  of  Her  Majesty  Victoria,  that  of  the  Prince  of  Wales, 
one  or  two  other  ci'owns,  the  baptismal  vessels  of  the  royal  family, 
and  three  swords,  one  of  Truth,  of  Justice,  of  Mercy.  The  point 
of  the  latter  was  blunt,  emblematic  of  "  the  quality  of  mercy 
which  is  not  strained."  The  crown  of  Her  Majesty  had  been  re- 
cently remodeled,  and  received  additional  jewels  taken  from  the 
other  ci'owns.  It  was  certainly  a  most  "  glittering  bauble,"  and 
expensive  enough,  one  would  think,  for  the  vanity  of  any  lady. 
The  baptismal  vessels  were  of  gold,  elaborate  and  rich,  of  course. 
The  value  of  the  whole  is  estimated  to  be  about  fifteen  millions  of 
dollars.  On  turning  away,  I  ventured  to  remark  in  a  soliloqiuzing 
mood.  How  much  good  might  not  that  sum  do  in  relieving  the 
miseries  of  poor,  starving  Ireland ;  whereupon,  my  stahvort  guide 
bridled  up  to  me,  and  in  a  tone  swelling  with  wounded  pride,  ejacu- 
lated, "  Yes,  and  we  have  spent  double  that  sum  on  the  miserable 
people  within  a  few  years."  . 

This  rude  fortress  is  situated  on  the  river-bank,  in  the  east  part 
of  the  city,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  below  London  Bridge.  It 
was  begun  by  William  the  Conqueror,  in  1098,  and  additions  were 
made  by  Henry  III,  by  Edward  IV,  and  by  Charles  X.  The 
tower  was  a  royal  palace  during  more  than  five  centuries.  It  was 
long  ago,  and  still  is  in  fact,  a  state-prison.  It  anciently  contained 
several  detached  masses  of  buildings,  most  of  which  have  now 
disappeared.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  moat,  filled  with  water  from 
the  Tliaraes,  and  the  outer  bank  has  recently  been  turned  into 
pleasure  grounds. 

March  16th.    To-day  made  a  visit  to  St.  Paul's — the  cathedral- 


ST.  PAUL'S  CATHEDRAL.  365 


church  of  London,  and  not  only  the  great  architectural  glory  of 
the  metropolis,  but  of  the  empire.  The  noble  structure  stands  in 
an  elevated  situation  at  the  top  of  Ludgate  Hill,  and  towers  above 
the  other  buildings,  by  which  it  is  surrounded,  like  some  giant-oak 
amid  a  grove  of  sapplings.  In  regard  to  the  general  effect  of  its 
exterior,  I  have  little  to  say.  It  is  undoubtedly  fine,  because  good 
judges  say  so ;  but  I  must  confess  that  I  was  not  impressed  in  a 
high  degree  with  its  beauty.  After  contemplating  the  Louvre, 
the  Pantheon,  and  the  Madeline,  I  had  little  admiration  left  for  the 
exterior  of  St.  Paul's.  But  the  interior  is  chaste  and  imposing. 
Still,  owing  to  a  want  of  ornament,  it  has  a  naked  and  austere  ap- 
pearance. Lately  it  has  been  attempted  to  obviate  this  defect  by 
placing  within  the  cathedral  monuments,  erected  at  the  public  ex- 
pense, to  eminent  individuals,  —  among  whom  may  be  specified 
Lord  Nelson,  Abercrombie,  Dr.  Johnson,  Sir  William  Jones,  How- 
ard the  philanthropist,  etc.  I  was  forcibly  struck  with  the  ex- 
pressive character  beaming  from  the  bust  of  the  latter.  But  these, 
it  must  be  said,  do  but  little  credit  to  the  builder.  They  appear 
like  "  pigmies  in  vales."  But  there  is  one  feature  of  St.  Paul's 
that  cannot  but  ever  fill  the  beholder  with  wonder  and  dehght.  I 
refer  to  its  noble  dome.  As  you  gaze  from  the  pavement  of  the 
church  up  into  its  immense  concavity,  you  are  struck  with  admira- 
tion. The  enormous  vault  seems  actually  poised  in  the  air,  and 
you  are  taken  up  in  imagination  beyond  the  confines  of  earth  to  a 
region  of  ethereal  grandeur  and  beauty. 

While  walking  about  on  the  floor  of  the  church,  I  encountered 
a  couple  of  very  youthful  looking  gentlemen.  By  their  light 
featm-es  and  restless  air,  I  at  once  recognized  them  as  Americans. 
Accosting  them,  I  learned  that  they  were  ti'ue-blooded  Connecticut 
Yankees,  who  were  driving  briskly  their  queer  trade  in  the  line  of 
Baby  Jumpers^  —  then  a  new  invention  in  its  way.     Yankee  like, 

31* 


366  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


they  had  succeeded  in  the  short  space  of  time  thej  had  been  in 
London  in  bringing  their  hobby  before  the  pubhc.  Tliey  were 
seUing,  they  informed  me,  quite  rapidly,  had  got  a  handsome  notice 
of  it  in  a  learned  work  just  issued,  from  the  pen  of  one  of  the 
eminent  physicians  under  the  royal  patronage,  and  had  even  been 
to  put  one  up  at  Buckingham  Palace.  They  were  sanguine  of 
realizing  a  handsome  sum  in  a  short  time. 

We  proposed  immediately  making  the  ascent  to  the  summit  in 
company  ;  and  reached  the  whispering-gallery  by  an  inside  stair- 
way. Here,  by  some  principle  of  acoustics,  a  whisper,  made  with 
the  lips  upon  the  wall,  is  heard  the  entire  diameter  of  the  cupola, 
by  placing  the  ear  against  the  opposite  wall.  We  then  went  into 
the  library,  where,  among  other  interesting  objects,  were  shown 
us  a  book  in  manuscript,  more  than  a  thousand  years  old.  It  was 
attached  to  a  chain,  which  in  olden  times  was  necessary  to  protect 
pi-operty  so  rare  and  valuable.  By  a  more  difficult  ascent  we 
reached  the  golden  gallery,  which  crowns  the  apex  of  the  dome, 
at  the  base  of  the  lantern.  Before  reaching  this  point  we  were 
stopped  by  a  portly  keeper,  who  demanded  sixpence  as  a  condition 
of  passing  him.  "  But  we  have  already  paid,"  said  one  of  my 
companions,  "  for  seeing  the  entire  edifice."  "  Not  for  this,"  was 
the  reply.  "  We  were  told  so."  "  Can  't  help  it."  "  Wont  you 
let  us  pass  ?  "  "  No  !  "  "  Well,"  said  my  acquaintance,  "  I  really 
believe  that  old  daddy  Bidl  would  dig  up  and  exhibit  the  very 
bones  of  his  grandfather  for  a  shilling  !  " 

This,  as  might  be  supposed,  inflamed  the  ire  of  our  guard  not 
a  little,  and  he  retorted  "  But  you  have  to  pay  for  everything 
you  see  in  Paris."  "  You  can 't  make  us  believe  that,"  was  the 
reply,  "  for  we  have  just  come  from  there,  and  know  better." 

We  were  highly  favored  by  the  unrivalled  view  from  the  gal- 
lery.    Owing  to  the  usual  density  of  the  smoke,  this  splendid  view 


ST.  PAUL'S  CATHEDRAL.  367 


is  rarely  seen  in  perfection  ;  but  by  great  good  fortune,  the  steady 
storm  which  had  been  raging,  suddenly  cleared  away  and  revealed 
to  our  delighted  gaze  one  of  the  most  comprehensive  and  pic- 
turesque views  that  I  remember  ever  to  have  seen.  The  entire 
metropolis,  vast  as  it  is,  appeared  to  spread  out  at  our  feet.  The 
broad  and  silvery  line  of  the  river,  crossed  by  numerous  bridges, 
and  bearing  on  its  bosom  numbers  of  graceful  steamers,  and  ves- 
sels of  every  kind,  gave  infinite  variety  and  grandeur  to  the  scene. 
At  this  height  the  carriages,  horses  and  men,  in  the  streets  below, 
appear  so  diminutive  as,  not  inaptly,  to  suggest  the  idea  of  a 
swarm  of  emmets. 

The  edifice  is  built  in  the  form  of  a  Latin  cross,  and  is  five 
hundred  and  ten  feet  in  length,  and  one  hundred  and  ten  feet  in 
breadth.  The  immense  dome  is  surmounted  by  a  lantern,  ball, 
and  cross,  —  the  latter  being  elevated  three  hundred  and  sixty- 
two  feet  above  the  level  of  the  floor,  and  three  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-six feet  above  the  pavement  of  the  church  yard.  The  two 
turrets,  or  belfries,  in  the  west  front,  are  each  two  hundred  and 
twenty-two  feet  in  height.  The  walls  are  decorated  by  two  stories 
of  coupled  pilasters,  arranged  at  regular  distances,  —  those  below 
being  of  Corinthian  order,  and  those  above  of  the  Composite. 
The  whole  building  is  of  Portland  stone  ;  and  its  massiveness  and 
solidity  warrant  the  inference  that  it  will  be  as  lasting  as  magnifi- 
cent. It  is  said  that  St.  Paul's  is  a  close  imitation  of  St.  Peter's 
at  Rome  ;  but  it  has  been  truly  answered,  that  it  is  an  imitation 
that  bears  the  impress  of  transcendent  genius,  and  may  be  said  to 
be  to  St.  Peter's  what  the  ^Eneid  is  to  the  Iliad  and  Odyssey. 
There  are  striking  points  of  difference;  and  in  vastness  of  dimen- 
sions, St.  Peter's  as  far  exceeds  St.  Paul's,  as  the  latter  does  the 
common  English  churclies.  St.  Paul's  was  completed  in  thirty- 
five  years  after  laying  the  first  stone,  by  one  architect,  under  one 


368  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


bishop  of  London,  costing  only  about  three  millions  seven  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  which  was  raised  by  a  small  impost  on  coal 
brought  to  London ;  while  St.  Peter's,  the  work  of  twelve  archi- 
tects, took  one  hundred  and  forty-five  years  to  build,  during  the 
pontificate  of  nineteen  popes. 

This  noble  edifice  is  the  work  of  Sir  Christopher  Wren,  whose 
name  is  associated  with  all  that  is  great  in  English  architecture. 
The  future  eminence  of  this  distmguished  man,  like  that  of  his 
great  contempoi*ary,  Pascal,  was  early  foreseen.  Even  at  the  age 
of  thirteen,  he  made  an  important  astronomical  discovery,  which 
was  the  preluding  scintillation  of  his  magnificent  genius.  From 
this  time  up  to  the  period  when  he  commenced  the  lasting  monu- 
ment of  his  transcendent  powers,  his  whole  soul  was  actively  ab- 
sorbed to  reach  a  high  point  of  culture.  He  was  now  favored 
with  the  society  of  the  brightest  geniuses  of  his  day ;  and  was  an 
active  member  of  the  various  scientific  societies.  Nor  was  this 
part  of  his  life  barren  of  immediate  fruits.  He  made,  on  the  con- 
trary, several  useful  inventions  and  important  discoveries,  and 
was,  in  fact,  recognized  as  one  of  the  first  scientific  geniuses  of  his 
time.  But  the  great  work  of  his  life,  of  course,  that  which  will 
last  for  ages  as  a  proud  monument  of  his  genius,  is  the  noble  ca- 
thedral of  St.  Paul's.  Yet,  so  great  was  his  talent,  so  untiring 
his  perseverance,  that  the  immense  labors  connected  with  this  did 
not  absorb  his  entire  time,  but  left  a  portion  for  fruitful  investi- 
gations in  other  departments  of  science.  The  greatness  of  such 
spirits  continues  to  elevate  and  dehght  mankind  for  ages  untold. 

March  11th.  Effected,  this  morning,  an  agreement  for  a  pas- 
sage to  Boston,  in  the  brig  Waltron  of  Falmouth,  N.  S.,  Capt. 
Davidson.  The  Captain,  a  plain,  but  sympathetic  and  kindly-na- 
tured  man,  seemed  gratified  at  the  idea  of  having  me  on  board 
along  with  him,  entered  at  once  into  familiar  conversation,  and 


THAMES  TUNNEL.  369 


proposed  in  a  pleasurable  spirit  to  accompany  me  in  a  visit  to  the 
Thames  Tunnel.  This  remarkable  excavation  effects  a  connection 
between  the  banks  of  the  river,  about  two  miles  below  London 
Bridge ;  and  its  entire  length  is  thirteen  hundred  feet.  You  de- 
scend to  the  arch-way  by  an  easy  flight  of  steps.  Your  sensations 
are  rather  odd,  on  realizir  ;  that  a  broad  and  deep  river  is  flowing 
above  you,  beai-ing  on  its  bosom  huge,  heavily  laden  ships.  The 
body  of  the  tunnel  is  of  brick-work  in  Roman  cement.  It  consists 
of  a  double  and  capacious  archway,  one  side  being  appropriated 
to  carriages  passing  in  one  direction,  and  the  other  to  those  pas- 
sing in  the  contrary,  with  paths  for  foot-passengere  by  the  side  of 
the  carriage-road.  The  middle  road  between  the  tAvo  archways 
was  first  built  solid  for  greater  strength  ;  but  openings  were  after- 
wards cut  at  short  distances,  so  that  cacli  has  a  ready  communi- 
cation with  the  other. 

In  the  course  of  tlie  work,  two  iri'uptions  of  the  river  took 
place;  the  first  on  the  eighteenth  of  May,  1827,  after  the  excavation 
had  been  advanced  to  the  distance  of  four  hundi-ed  feet  ;  and  the 
second  in  January,  1828.  I  was  told  that  one  of  them  was  caused 
by  an  American  ship's  casting  anchor  directly  over  the  tunnel. 
These  accidents  were,  however,  repaired  by  filling  the  chasms  in 
the  river  with  bags  of  clay ;  and  on  clearing  the  tunnel  of  water, 
the  structure  was  found,  on  both  occasions,  to  be  in  a  perfectly 
sound  state,  and  to  have  sustained  little  injury.  This  work  is  cer- 
tainly one  of  the  most  extraordinary  that  it  ever  entered  into  the 
mind  of  man  to  attempt.  Its  cost  was  more  than  two  millions 
and  a  half  of  dollars.  In  contemplating  it,  we  know  not  which 
most  to  admire,  in  its  originator,  the  grandeur  and  boldness  of  its 
conception,  or  the  genius  and  energy  with  which  it  was  carried  to 
a  successful  completion.  During  its  progress,  it  was  visited  by 
multitudes  of  persons  from  all  parts  of  the  world ;  and  now  the 


370  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

sum  received  from  the  visitors  who  daily  view  it,  is  its  principal 
remunerative  benefit.  It  would  doubtless  prove  interesting  to  de- 
tail the  works  and  process  of  operation  in  its  construction,  but 
room  fails. 

Made,  likewise,  a  visit  to  the  British  Museum.  It  is  principal- 
ly deposited  in  Montague-house,  Great  Russell  Street,  Blooms- 
bury  ;  and  this  being  a  considerable  distance  westward  from  the 
Tunnel,  I  made  very  pleasantly  the  greater  part  of  the  distance 
in  one  of  those  little  steamers  which  ply  on  the  Thames,  through 
the  city,  for  the  transit  of  passengers.  These  constitute  an 
original  featm-e  m  the  city.  Only  think  of  being  conveyed  in 
a  steamer,  when  you  make  a  morning's  call,  or  just  step  out  to 
see  a  neighbor.  They  afford  a  common  and  convenient  mode 
of  traversing  the  city  in  an  eastern  or  western  direction, — 
and  they  are  always  thronged  with  passengers.  There  were 
three  lines,  and  the  prices  for  a  passage  were  respectively  four 
pence,  two  pence,  and  one  penny.  The  latter  was  called  the  Cit- 
izens' Line,  and  the  boats  were  equal  to  the  others.  They  start 
every  ten  minutes,  from  different  stations,  and  traverse  only  that 
part  of  the  Thames  which  borders  on  the  business  part  of  the 
city.  They  are  small,  of  beautiful  model,  and  may  be  seen  cut- 
ting around  each  other,  and  darting  under  the  spacious  arches  of 
the  massive  bridges,  like  graceful  Tritons.  A  morning's  prome- 
nade by  one  of  them  is  inspiring. 

Stepping  out  of  the  boat,  a  turn  took  me  into  Trafalgar  Square. 
The  beauty  of  this  place  is  heightened  by  the  noble  front  of  the 
National  Gallery  on  the  north  of  the  Square,  and  the  Nelson  Mon- 
ument rising  majestically  from  the  centre.  The  latter  is  sur- 
mounted with  a  fine  statue  representing  England's  greatest  naval 
hero.  There  he  stands  in  a  commanding  attitude,  looking  serenely 
down  upon  the  thronging  masses  who,  as  they  pass,  are  thrilled  with 


BRITISH  MUSEUM.  371 


emotions  of  pride  at  the  mere  sight  of  this  beautiful  shaft,  remind- 
ing them  of  the  national  power  and  glory.  The  monument  is 
named,  of  course,  for  the  last  of  those  brilliant  naval  engagements 
of  the  great  commander,  in  which,  off  the  Cape  of  Trafalgar,  he 
purchased  a  splendid  victory  with  the  loss  of  his  life.  Nelson 
arose,  by  the  force  of  his  character,  from  an  humble  position  in 
the  English  navy,  to  the  highest  pinnacle  of  its  fame ;  and  died, 
covered  with  titles  of  honor,  and  loaded  with  wealth.  As  a  pro- 
fessional character,  he  possessed  a  mighty  genius,  an  ardent  spirit, 
and  a  resolute  mind  ;  cool,  prompt,  and  discerning,  in  the  midst 
of  danger  he  raised  all  his  powerful  energies  into  action,  and  the 
strong  faculties  of  his  soul  were  vigilantly  exerted  in  the  midst  of 
the  fury  of  battle,  to  make  every  accident  contribute  to  the  tri- 
umph of  his  crew,  and  to  the  glory  of  his  country.  So  highly 
established  was  his  reputation,  that  his  presence  was  said  to  be  a 
talisman  to  the  courage  of  his  sailors,  who  fought  under  him  as 
sure  of  victory,  and  regarded  his  approbation  as  the  best  solace 
for  their  fatigues  and  their  sufferings. 

The  Museum  equalled  the  high  expectations  I  had  formed  of 
it.  It  is  truly  a  national  institution,  and  was  established  in  1753. 
It  is  a  grand  repository  for  books,  MSS.,  statues,  coins,  and  other 
antiquities,  specimens  of  animals  and  minerals,  etc.,  and  is  consid- 
ered in  most  respects,  one  of  the  richest  in  Europe.  The  depart- 
ment of  antiquities  is  certainly  valuable.  It  comprises  the  collec- 
tion of  Egyptian  monuments,  including  the  famous  Rosetta  stone, 
acquired  at  the  capitulation  of  Alexandria  in  1801  ;  the  Townly 
marbles,  purchased  at  a  cost  of  one  hundred  and  forty  thousand 
dollars ;  the  Phigalian  and  the  Elgin  marbles,  the  cost  of  which 
was  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  thousand  dollars.  The  latter 
includes  the  statues  of  Theseus  and  Ilissus,  and  the  sculptures  in 
alto-releivo  from  the  friezes  of  the  Parthenon.  The  collection  here 


372  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OOEAN-WORLI). 


was  not  completely  arranged,  so  immense  are  the  labors  required 
to  keep  up  an  exact  system.  The  library  is  an  interesting  feature. 
It  comprises  a  collection  formed  in  part  by  various  presents  from 
time  to  time  ;  but  the  most  valuable  addition  of  late  years,  is  the 
library  of  George  III,  collected  at  an  expense  of  one  million 
of  dollars,  and  presented  to  the  Bluseum  by  his  successor.  Mod- 
ern English  publications  are  added  free  of  expense ;  and  about 
one  million  five  hundred  thousand  dollars  a  year  are  expended  in 
the  purchase  of  old  and  foreign  works.  There  are  about  330,000 
printed  books,  and  27,000  MSS.,  exclusive  of  charters.  The  ave- 
rage number  of  readers  is  two  hundred  and  twenty  a  day. 

The  department  of  zoology  is  rich  in  birds  and  insects,  but  poor 
in  other  respects,  especially  in  mammalia.  I  was  wonderfully 
interested,  of  course,  in  viewing  the  skeleton  of  the  huge  masti- 
don,  the  picture  of  which  I  had  marvelled  over  so  much  in  my 
school-going  days. 

The  collection  of  medals,  which  has  been  accumulating  since 
the  foundation  of  the  museum,  consists  of  about  twenty  thousand 
coins. 

The  collection  of  minerals  is  large.  Both  for  size  and  classifi- 
cation, it  will  bear  to  be  compared  with  any  mineralogical  collec- 
tion in  Europe.  Fac-similes  in  glass  of  the  various  large  diamonds 
in  the  world,  were  particularly  shown  us.  This  Museum,  with 
two  or  three  other  places,  were  the  only  ones  I  found  free  to  the 
public. 

Although  the  weather  was  inclement,  still  there  were  quite  a 
throng  of  persons  examining  the  collections.  Among  the  number 
was  a  small  pai'ty  of  gentlemen  from  Ohio.  They  seemed  deeply 
engrossed.  One  of  the  youngest  of  their  number  in  particular, 
could  hardly  suppress  his  enthusiasm,  but  flew  from  one  case  of 
minerals  to  another  in  childish  ecstasy. 


WESTMINSTER,  OR  WEST  END.  373 


The  present  building  of  the  Museum  was  designed  by  Sir  R. 
Smike,  and  was  only  recently  completed.  It  is  quadrangular,  with 
a  noble  and  splendid  facade  ornamented  with  Ionic  columns. 

March  \%lh.  Weather  fine,  for  the  first  day  since  being  in  Lon- 
don. Westward  ho !  to  revel  in  the  varied  beauties  of  West  End. 
London-proper  is  but  a  small  place,  comprising  an  area  only  of 
about  six  hundred  acres,  while  what  is  now  covered  with  buildings 
has  an  area  of  about  fifteen  square  miles,  or  ten  thousand  acres. 
The  old  city  is  the  heart  of  the  body,  whence  issue  the  pulsations 
of  business.  Westminster,  or  West-End,  is  the  head,  or  seat  of 
government,  —  and  the  east  part  of  the  town,  with  the, docks,  the 
feet.  It  is  not  difficult  to  trace  other  features  of  resemblance  to 
the  human  body.  For  instance,  the  Thames  running  through  the 
city  in  an  easterly  direction,  dividing  the  city  into  two  parts, 
may  be  styled  the  vertebral  column  ;  the  long  streets  running 
parallel  with  the  rivei',  and  lined  with  stores,  may  take  the  name 
of  the  arms  and  fingers  of  the  body,  while  the  magnificent  parks 
have  been  most  appropriately  designated  the  lungs  of  London.  In 
the  old  part  of  the  city  the  buildings  are  huddled,  and  have  a 
dingy  air,  —  the  streets  are  absolutely  thronged  with  all  manner 
of  vehicles  and  foot-passengers,  elbowing  their  way  in  every  direc- 
tion ;  but  the  West-End,  the  residence  of  the  royal  family,  the 
nobility,  the  foreign  ambassadors,  and  public  functionaries,  presents 
a  neat,  open,  and  beautiful  appearance. 

I  first  took  a  boat  from  London  Bridge  to  Trafalgar  Square, 
and  in  my  route  thence  to  St.  James's  Park,  passed  the  Ecjuestriau 
Statue  of  George  IV ;  the  Church  of  St.  Martin  in  the  Fields, 
the  portico  of  which  is  much  admired;  the  building  of  the  National 
Gallery ;  the  Royal  College  of  Physicians  ;  the  fine  P^questrian 
Statue,  in  bronze,  of  George  III ;  the  Nelson  Column ;  the 
Northumberland  House ;  the  Admiralty  Office ;  the  chief  mihtary 

32 


374  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


establishment  of  the  Horse  Guards  ;  the  Banqueting  House  ;  the 
Treasury  ;  "Westminster  Bridge,  and  the  New  Parliament  House. 
The  change  of  feeling  on  entering  St.  James's  Park  is  delightful. 
It  is  the  elasticity  of  emotion  on  the  sudden  transition  from  the 
turmoil  and  dust  of  a  dense  city,  to  the  joyous  and  smiling  fra- 
grance of  the  country.  There  is  a  marked  difference  between  the 
English  and  French  parks.  The  latter  are  artificially  beautiful ; 
the  former  naturally  delightful.  The  former  may  be  more  pleas- 
ing to  the  traveller,  but  the  latter  must  be  more  lovely  and  refresh- 
ing to  the  citizen.  St.  James's  is  one  of  the  smallest  parks  in 
London,  being  only  one-fiftli  as  large  as  Hyde  Park ;  but  it  is 
hardly  inferior  to  any  in  point  of  beauty  and  attractiveness.  Its 
site  being  low,  it  was  formerly  damp  and  marshy.  Within  these 
few  years,  however,  the  central  part  has  been  tastefully  laid  out, 
and  what  was  a  dirty,  straight  canal,  running  through  a  marsh, 
has  become  a  handsome,  varied  sheet  of  water,  dotted  with  islands, 
forming  the  abode  of  numerous  aquatic  birds  and  surrounded  by 
lawns,  shrubbery  and  lofty  trees.  The  park  is  open  to  all  pedes- 
trians, and  on  any  fair  day,  it  may  be  seen  thronged  with  well- 
dressed  people  of  both  sexes,  and  all  ages,  promenading,  loitering, 
reclining,  —  and  all  evincing  a  happier  existence  imparted  by  the 
animated  and  charming  scenery  around  them.  Royalty  herself 
has  no  more  delightful  spot  in  which  to  recreate  than  this ;  and 
here  the  humblest  citizen,  escaped  from  his  toil  and  lost  to  the 
misery  of  his  lot,  can  bathe  as  freshly  in  the  fragrant  waters  of 
nature,  as  the  queen  herself  descending  from  her  purple  throne. 

I  here  fell  into  conversation  with  an  elderly  man,  leading  a  lad, 
perhaps  his  grandson.  On  learning  that  I  was  from  the  United 
States,  he  appeared  seized  with  a  kind  of  gladsome  surprise,  and 
began  plying  me  with  questions  about  my  country  with  a  youthful 
curiosity.     The  tone  which  pervaded  his  style  of  speaking,  when 


THE  LONDON  PARKS.  375 


referring  to  the  New  World,  showed,  however,  that  he  held  it  not 
in  very  high  estimation  ;  and  when  he  brought  it  into  comparison 
with  England,  it  actually  dwindled  into  insignificance.  According 
to  him,  England  was  the  grandest,  noblest,  richest,  and  finest  coun- 
try to  be  found  in  the  whole  world.  There  were,  he  admitted, 
some  sadly  dark  features  on  her  luminous  disk,  but  she  was,  after 
all,  a  glorious  country,  —  and  the  Queen  —  God  bless  her  —  the 
lovehest,  the  most  perfect  woman  on  earth.  The  cannon  just  at 
that  moment  were  booming  the  national  joy  for  the  safe  delivery 
of  the  queen,  who  had  given  birth  to  another  son.  I  ventured  to 
ask  how  the  industrial  part  of  the  community  could  consistently 
rejoice  at  an  event  which  added  eighty  thousand  dollars  per  an- 
num to  the  national  expense  —  to  be  wrung  out  of  the  toiling 
masses  ?  He  gently  shook  his  head,  and  by  his  silence  plamly 
gave  me  to  understand  that  he  felt  the  force  of  my  objection. 

At  the  western  extremity  of  the  park,  and  commanding  a  fine 
view  of  its  plantations,  stands  Buckingham  Palace,  the  town- 
residence  of  her  majesty,  Queen  Victoria.  The  English  them- 
selves do  not  praise  this  edifice,  and  regard  it  as  only  remarkable 
for  its  extravagant  cost,  amounting  to  some  five  million  dollars. 
The  poorness  of  its  effect  may  be  attributed,  however,  in  a  meas- 
ure, to  its  depressed  situation.  Indeed,  the  ground  in  front  of  the 
palace  not  being  paved,  becomes  in  wet  weather  a  most  offensive 
puddle.  It  was,  however,  undergoing  extensive  repairs,  which 
were  destined,  doubtless,  to  give  the  royal  mansion  an  improved 
aspect. 

From  St.  .James's  Park  I  pursued  my  way  leisurely  through 
Green  Park,  —  a  triangular  piece  of  ground  about  as  large  as  St. 
James's,  from  which  it  gradually  rises  to  Piccadilly.  It  can  have 
but  little  pretensions  to  beauty,  being  little  more  than  a  dry 
meadow,  traversed  by  walks.     St.  James's  Palace,  at  the  right, — 


376  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


at  the  west  end  of  Pall  Mall,  —  is  an  irregular,  mean-looking 
brick  building,  totally  unworthy  the  name  of  a  palace.  It  was 
erected  by  Henry  VIII.  It  was  the  residence,  if  I  remember 
rightly,  of  the  queen-dowager,  and  is  said  to  be,  internally,  hand- 
somely fitted  up  for  court-levees  and  drawing-rooms,  which  are 
mostly  held  in  it. 

Passing  out  of  Green  Park,  I  came  to  the  road  leading  from 
Piccadilly  and  Oxford,  and  to  the  west  of  which  is  the  famous 
Hyde  Park,  frequented  daily  by  the  royal  family,  nobility,  and 
the  aristocracy  of  the  nation.  It  has  eight  entrances.  At  this 
point,  you  enter  by  a  triumphal  arch,  surmounted  by  a  huge 
equestrian  statue  of  the  late  Duke  of  Wellington.  As  a  work  of 
art  it  did  not  strike  me  as  possessing  remarkable  beauty,  but  it 
carries  something  of  an  imposing  effect,  and  stands  out  to  view  a 
prominent  object  for  a  long  distance  in  the  park.  A  little  to  the 
right,  stands  the  Apsley  House,  the  town-residence  of  the  "  Iron 
Duke.''  It  is  a  quadrangular,  plain,  massive  building.  As  I 
passed,  a  lady  of  large  proportions,  and  richly  di'essed  in  satin  and 
furs,  drove  up  alone,  at  full  speed,  in  a  splendid  carriage,  drawn  by 
a  span  of  beautiful  and  spirited  horses,  and  reining  up  the  steeds, 
leaped  out  of  the  carriage  with  the  agility  of  a  circus-rider,  and 
entered  the  house  without  ringing. 

A  little  within  the  park,  at  the  entrance  just  named,  is  a  colossal 
statue  of  Achilles,  placed  there  by  the  ladies  of  London  in  honor 
of  the  Duke  of  Wellington  and  his  brave  associates  in  the  Con- 
tinental war.  It  is  cast  from  the  cannon  taken  at  different  battles ; 
is  twenty  feet  high,  and  weighs  thirty  tons.  The  park  originally 
contained  six  hundred  and  twenty  acres  ;  but  now  contains  only 
four  hundred.  It  has  a  large  and  deep  artificial  lake  extending,  I 
should  judge,  two-thirds  its  length,  crossed  by  a  handsome  bridge 
of  five  arches.     This  is  called  the  Serpentine  river,  and  is  used 


WESTMINSTER  ABBEY.  377 


for  sailing,  and  s\snmming,  and  bathing.  It  is  under  the  care  of  an 
officer  of  the  crown,  and  there  are  distinct  regulations  to  be  ob- 
served by  those  who  are  admitted  to  the  recreations.  Beautiful 
boats  may  be  seen  along  the  shores,  and  houses  on  its  banks  fur- 
nished with  apparatus  for  resuscitation.  The  whole  of  the  park  is 
an  open  field  of  much  beauty,  dotted  with  trees  and  traversed  by 
carriage-ways,  which,  in  fine  weather  during  the  season,  are  cov- 
ered with  gay  and  fashionable  equipages.  It  is  here  that  Prince 
Albert  takes  his  morning  ride,  on  horseback,  and  where  the  Queen, 
the  Princes,  and  Princesses  take  their  daily  airing  in  good 
weather.  Between  the  hours  of  two  and  five  o'clock,  afternoon,  I 
found  to  be  the  most  fashionable  part  of  the  day  for  seeking  thither 
an  airing.  Kensington  gardens,  lying  west  of  the  park,  and  sep- 
arated from  it  by  a  trench  and  wall,  are  open  to  the  public,  and 
constitute  a  fine,  shady  promenade,  three  miles  in  circumference. 
These  gardens  are  certainly  fine,  combining  the  grandeur  and 
beauty  of  rural  scenery  in  a  high  degree. 

Returning,  I  lingered  an  hour  or  two  to  contemplate  West- 
minster Abbey.  And  how  shall  I  convey  my  impressions  of  this 
venerable  pile !  The  edifice  itself,  although  less  grand  and  im- 
posing than  the  great  church  of  Rouen,  that  of  Paris,  or  Brussels 
even,  is  yet  a  gem  of  architecture,  and  is  justly  esteemed  the  most 
perfect  specimen  of  the  pointed  style,  in  England.  But  liowever 
beautiful  and  interesting  its  exterior,  you  do  not  tarry  a  moment 
to  enjoy  the  fine  view.  Feelings  of  intense  emotion  and  curiosity 
hurry  you  within  the  sacred  walls  of  the  vast  mausoleum,  to  stand 

"  "Where  England  gamers  up  lier  gix-at ! " 

And  when  you  pass  through  the  rude,  unpainted  oaken  door, 
which  leads  into  the  "  I'oet's   Corner,"  and  find  yourself  actu- 

32* 


378  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


ally  surrounded  by  the  tombs  of  the  mighty  dead,  —  then  it  is 
that  you  become  sensible  of  the  power  and  majesty  of  the  place. 
You  stand  for  a  moment  spell-bound !  —  You  feel  now  in  the 
presence  of  those  glorious  spirits  with  which  your  soul  has  deeply 
communed  in  ambrosial  delight;  noble  spirits,  to  which  you  feel 
largely  indebted  for  whatever  of  elevation  you  possess ;  mighty 
spirits,  that  have  made  the  world  what  it  is ;  immortal  spirits  on 
earth,  destined  to  be  reproduced  in  every  age,  till  time  shall  be 
no  more. 

As  you  gaze  upon  their  marble  effigies,  surrounded  by  the  gloom 
and  damp  that  invests  the  place,  a  kind  of  supernatural  awe  seizes 
you  ;  you  dread  to  step,  for  fear  of  disturbing  the  solemn,  the  sacred 
repose  of  the  place.  At  least,  such  were  in  a  measure  my  own  emo- 
tions. At  the  eastern  end  of  the  abbey  are  the  royal  chapels,  in  which 
are  the  tombs  of  the  kings  and  queens  of  England.  Some  of  these 
are  much  despoiled,  partly  by  time,  but  more  by  violence.  Royal 
avarice  plundered  them  of  their  sceptres  and  jewels  ;  and  republi- 
can violence,  out  of  wantonness,  defaced  them.  Some,  however,  re- 
main well  preserved.  The  stranger  cannot  but  pause  at  the 
tombs  of  Alfred,  of  Edward  the  Confessor,  of  Henry  VII,  of 
Elizabeth,  and  Mary  of  Scotland.  The  last  three  he  will  find  in 
the  magnificent  chapel  of  Henry  VII,  whose  fretted  ceiling,  whoUy 
wrought  in  stone,  is  an  object  of  curious  interest.  In  the  western 
portion  of  the  building,  the  long-drawn  aisles  are  literally  encrust- 
ed with  monuments.  But  only  here  and  there  may  be  found  one 
bearing  a  name  which  illumines  the  pages  of  history,  or  the  pro- 
gress of  science.  The  names  of  Pitt,  Newton,  and  Wilberforce 
will  ai-rest  the  attention,  and  bring  up  thoughts  of  these  mighty 
departed. 

But  he  soon  hurries  back  to  the  spot,  where  are  enshrined  the 
Poets,  to  revel  in  the  glowing  inspirations  there  afforded.     There 


STATUES  OF  EMINENT  MEN.  379 


stands,  in  graceful  majesty,  Shakspeare,  holding  a  scroll,  on  which 
is  engraved  these  sublime  lines  of  the  poet :  — 

"  The  cloud-capped   towers, 
The  gorgeous  palaces, 
The  solemn  temple, 
The  great  globe  itself, — 
Yea,  all  which  in  it  lives 
Shall  dissolve  — 

And  like  the  baseless  fabric  of  a  vision. 
Leave  not  a  ^vreck  behind." 

I  thought  he  might  have  excepted  the  matchless  creations  of  his 
immortal  genius. 

Here,  too,  was  Gay,  with  these  odd  lines  engraved  below  his 

bust :  — 

"Life  is  a  jest,  and  all  things  show  it ; 
I  thought  so  once,  and  now  I  know  it." 

There  was,  also,  old  Ben  Johnson,  with  a  countenance  expressive 
of  profundity  and  wit ;  and  James  Thompson,  the  poet  of  rural 
nature.  The  countenance  of  the  latter  bears  a  feminine  and  rich 
expression.  His  head  was  surrounded,  I  believe,  with  a  garland 
of  flowers.  The  following  beautiful  sentiment,  from  the  Seasons, 
enhanced  the  pleasing  view:  — 

"  The  JIuse,  with  a  crown 
Tutored  by  sweet  poetry,  exalts 
Ilcr  voice  to  ages,  and  informs  the  page 
With  music,  sentiment,  and  thought  never  to  die." 

There  were,  moreover,  Dr.  Watts,  Milton,  Dryden,  Handel, 
Garrick,  and  many  others  of  the  brightest  stars  in  the  galaxy 


380  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


of  English  literature,  —  but  they  cannot  be  even  enumerated 
here. 

Spent  the  evening  at  the  parlor  of  my  hotel,  in  conversation 
with  an  intelligent  country  gentleman.  This  had  been  my  habit- 
ual mode  of  passing  the  evenings,  since  arriving  in  London.  The 
hotel  in  question,  as  I  have  said  before,  being  near  the  railroad 
terminus,  was  frequented  by  passengers  on  their  first  arrival  in  the 
cars.  Many  of  them  were  country  merchants  residing  in  different 
parts  of  the  island.  Their  society  aiforded  a  means  of  information 
which  I  was  careful  not  to  neglect.  There  are  several  ways  of  ob- 
taining reliable  information  respecting  a  country.  One  is,  to  learn 
from  the  candid  and  more  intelligent  of  the  rural  population.  You 
thus  obtain  something  of  a  true  picture  of  the  national  opinion  and 
sentiment.  I  found  these  gentlemen,  in  manner  and  disposition, 
quite  different  from  your  English  traveller  in  general.  They  were 
open  and  free  in  conversation,  communicative,  of  a  docile  and 
teachable  spirit.  They  seemed  well  versed  in  poUtics,  and  evinced 
considerable  intelligence  and  discrimination  respecting  the  in- 
stitutions and  resources  of  their  country ;  but  their  knowledge 
did  not  extend  much  beyond  the  island.  Of  the  United  States, 
they  evinced  almost  unpardonable  ignorance,  not  only  of  its 
institutions,  but  even  of  its  geography.  They  regarded  their 
government  as  an  expensive  affair,  and  the  taxes  an  oppres- 
sive burden,  —  still,  they  loved  the  Queen,  and  felt  as  loyal  sub- 
jects. 

Sunday^  \Sith,  attended  Divine  service.  The  denomination,  I 
was  told,  was  styled  the  Otji  Church  of  England.  There  were 
but  few  present,  and  the  exercises  were  conducted  in  a  formal, 
lifeless  manner.  I  was  well  tired  before  it  was  over.  Thence 
took  a  stroll  in  Regent's  Park.  This  was  formed  during  the  re- 
gency, in  the  last  years  of  George  III.     It  is  situated  to  the  north 


LONDON  PARKS.  381 


of  Portland  Place,  on  high  ground,  surrounded  by  splendid  build- 
ings, and  is  tastefully  laid  out.  Indeed,  it  is  considered  the  hand- 
somest of  the  London  parks,  and  is  as  large  as  that  of  Hyde. 
The  gardens  of  the  Zoological  Society  are  situated  on  the  north 
side  of  this  park,  Avhile  the  central  portion  is  laid  out  as  a  garden 
for  the  Botanic  Society.  On  the  east  side  of  the  park,  near  Park- 
Square,  is  the  large  building  styled  the  Colosseum.  It  is  a  sixteen- 
sided  polygonal  structure,  with  a  magnificent  portico  and  cupola. 
It  is  principally  occupied  by  an  immense  panoramic  view  of  the 
metropolis,  taken  from  the  ball  on  the  top  of  St.  Paul's  Ca- 
thedral. 

Besides  these  magnificent  parks,  exhibiting  the  varied  loveli- 
ness of  nature,  heightened  by  the  genius  of  art,  there  are  a  great 
number  of  fine  squares  in  Loudon.  In  many,  the  houses  are  in 
the  first  style  of  architecture,  and  the  central  gardens  beautifully 
laid  out.  Several  of  the  best  squares  are  decollated  with  statues. 
The  immense  parks  and  numerous  squares  form  a  marked  feature 
in  this  grand  emporium,  and  I'ender  it  an  attraction  of  no  small 
moment.  Indeed,  what  would  London  be  without  its  parks  ?  A 
vast  bee-hive,  rayless  of  the  cheerful  light  of  heaven.  As  it  is, 
they  gather  the  incense  of  homage  from  the  hearts  of  all  classes  of 
citizens,  and  render  London  a  very  agreeable  residence,  largely 
uniting  the  splendor  of  a  rich  capital  with  the  delightful  fragrance 
of  charming  rural  scenery.  Here  the  poor  man  can  cheer  the 
monotony  of  toil  by  a  glimpse  of  nature ;  and  the  rich  can  lead 
out  his  children  to  rejoice  in  the  fair  paradise  of  the  omnipres- 
ent sky. 

On  the  northern  side  of  the  park  is  a  natural  elevation,  afford- 
ing from  its  summit  a  partial  view  of  the  mammoth  city.  There 
were  some  fifteen  or  twenty  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  us  struggling 
for  some  time  with  moist  and  slippery  clay  under  our  feet,  to  gain 


382  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


the  moderate  ascent.  The  city  lay  stretching  off  interminably  be- 
fore our  view,  partially  enveloped  in  a  dingy  atmosphere,  while 
St.  Paul's  reared  its  noble  dome  as  an  object  far  off  in  the  distance. 
None  of  us  could  scarcely  realize  that  we  were  actually  within  the 
city,  which  seemed  distinctly  away  from  us,  a  distant  mass  of 
edifices. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

HOSPITALITY  OF  THE  ENGLISH  —  OALLKRY  OF  PAINTINGS  —  POPU- 
LARITY OF  QUEEN  VICTORIA  —  DISAFFECTION  —  ST.  PAUL'S 
SCHOOL  —  GUILDHALL  —  ROYAL  EXCHANGE  —  BANK  OF  ENG- 
LAND   BRIDGES  —  HOUSES  OF  PARLIAMENT  — ST.  JAMES'S  PARK 

—  PRINCE  ALBERT  —  NORMAL  AND  MODEL  SCHOOL  —  EAST  INDIA 
DOCKS  —  ELIHU  BURRITT  —  QUAKERS  —  NATIONAL  SCHOOLS — • 
HOUSE    OF    LORDS  —  SHOPKEEPERS  —  HOMEWARD  BOUND. 

March  20th.     To-day  called  on  and  delivered  my  letters  to  Mr. 

E C ,  an  extensive  London  merchant,  with  a  view  to 

trace  out  my  Welsh  friend,  Captain  B ,  whose  acquaintance  I 

had  SO  agreeably  formed  in  New  York,  just  before  leaving.     Mr. 

C received  me  with  an  easy,  unaffected  cordiality,  which  is 

one  mark  of  the  true  gentleman,  —  begged  that  I  would  make  his 
house  my  home  while  in  the  city,  and  gently  insisted  that  I  would 
accept  his  carriage   and    company  for  an  afternoon  ride  to  see 

Captain  B ,  some  fifteen  miles  out  of  the  city.    From  this  and 

other  experiences,  I  obtained  a  most  favorable  opinion  of  the  hos- 
pitality and  politeness  of  the  English,  especially  with  the  better 
classes.  It  may  be  true  that  the  national  temperament  begets  a 
certain  habit  of  reserve  towards  strangers,  and  a  punctiliousness 
in  the  mode  of  introduction ;  yet,  when  a  stranger  is  presented 
according  to  their  idea  of  propriety,  and  has  become  their  guest, 
every  attention  is  bestowed  to  render  him  comfortable  and  happy. 


384  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEA\MVORLD. 


Visited  the  National  Gallery  of  Paintings.  The  building  is 
situated  on  the  north-west  side  of  Trafalgar  Square,  unquestion- 
ably the  finest  situation  in  the  metropolis.  It  has  a  front  of  five 
hundred  feet,  with  a  portico  and  dome  in  its  centre,  supported  by 
Corinthian  columns.  The  pictures,  amounting  to  some  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy,  can  only  be  looked  upon  as  a  nucleus  to 
what  may  hereafter  be  worthy  of  the  country.  About  half  the 
pictures  belong  to  the  Italian  school,  and  of  these  Ecce  Homo  and 
some  others  are  most  esteemed.  The  works  of  the  two  Caracci, 
N.  Poussin,  and  Claude,  may  be  here  seen  in  their  highest  per- 
fection. There  are  also  some  fine  specimens  of  the  English 
school,  by  Reynolds,  Hogarth,  etc. ;  also  of  the  Flemish.  Of  the 
latter,  I  noticed  gems  from  the  pencils  of  Reubens,  Vandyke,  and 
Rembrandt.  But  one  has  little  patience  to  tarry  long  amid  so 
meagre  a  collection,  after  having  revelled  in  the  Elysiums  of  Art 
in  Paris  and  Brussels.  This  collection  must  not  be  taken,  how- 
ever, as  the  true  index  of  taste  for  art  in  England.  For  there 
are  numerous  small  collections  containing  choice  pieces,  in  the  pos- 
session of  private  gentlemen,  and  not  open  to  the  public. 

The  late  accouchement  of  the  queen,  though  an  event  of  no  un- 
usual occurrence,  had  yet  taken  possession  of  the  public  mind  to 
an  extent  that  we  Americans  can  hardly  imagine ;  and  the  most 
trivial  intelligence  relating  to  her  convalescence,  was  sought  with 
avidity,  not  only  by  the  court-circles  and  aristocracy,  but  by  the 
humblest  citizen.  On  the  morning  after  the  pi'opitious  event,  I 
fancied  to  perceive  in  the  street-thronging  populace  a  brighter 
countenance  even,  and  a  more  elate  movement.  Ere  proceeding 
far,  my  way  was  interrupted  by  a  dense  crowd  hanging  around  a 
corner,  all  eager  to  peruse  a  large  hand-bill  conspicuously  posted 
upon  the  wall.  From  the  lively  interest  among  the  throng,  I 
thought  it  no  less  than  some  government  revolutionary  decree,  of 


A  PROPITIOUS  EVENT.  385 


vital  import ;  and  it  was  long  before  I  could  press  near  enougli  to 
read  the  paper.  It  was,  indeed,  a  State  paper,  signed  by  the 
Queen's  physicians,  and  several  noble  cabinet  lords,  in  which  they 
condescend  to  inform  all  her  dutiful  and  loving  subjects,  and  the 
London  world  in  general,  that  her  majesty,  at  such  an  hour  and 
minute,  was  safely  delivered  of  an  infant,  and  that  at  half-past 
seven  o'clock,  A.  m.,  both  the  mother  and  child  were  doing  well. 
The  bold  and  stately  manner  of  thus  communicating  a  species  of 
intelligence  which  I  had  been  accustomed  to  see  conveyed  only 
by  whispers  and  knowing  smiles,  struck  me  at  first  so  oddly  as  to 
draw  forth  an  involuntary  ejaculation,  little  respectful,  I  imagine, 
to  loyal  ears,  —  Avhich  being  heard  by  a  sturdy,  well-dressed 
gentleman  at  my  side,  he  darted  on  me  a  look  so  full  of  virtuous 
indignation,  that  I  almost  trembled  in  momentary  expectation  of 
being  summarily  called  to  account  for  rudeness  so  unwittingly 
shown.  Squeezing  out  of  the  crowd,  I  pursued  my  way,  a  little 
humbled  in  feeling,  and  pondering  upon  the  strange  vicissitudes  of 
life,  upon  the  inequalities  of  human  condition,  and  the  marvellous 
aspect  of  the  national  train  of  thought  and  sympathy.  It  did 
look  strikingly  wonderful,  while  thousands  of  females,  endowed 
by  nature  with  the  graces  of  life,  should  be  passed  by  uncared- 
for  by  the  multitude,  and  left  to  starve  amid  a  world  of  plenty, 
with  no  fraternal  heart  to  cheer  the  bitterness  of  their  lot, 
nor  sympathizing  hand  to  soothe  the  anguish  of  their  sufferings, 
that  a  single  woman  should  be  infolded  from  out  of  the  world  of 
humanities,  lifted  to  an  Elysian  throne,  and  made  the  supreme  ob- 
ject of  earthly  adoration  ;  that  thus  deified,  she  should  be  per- 
mitted not  only  to  well  up  in  monopoly  the  oceans  and  seas  of  de- 
lighted admiration  immediately  surrounding  her,  but  to  scoop  dry 
the  waters  of  love  from  the  little  wells  and  rivulets  in  the  remotest 
parts  of  the  kingdom.  Still,  moralize  a.s  I  would,  I  felt  that  I  was 
;53 


386  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


quite  wrong,  and  the  Londoner  fully  right,  that  the  life  of  the 
queen  at  that  time  of  revolutionary  panic,  was  of  momentous  in- 
terest to  the  nation,  and  the  safety  of  the  sweet  infant  as  involving 
maternal  anxiety  of  no  trifling  import.  A  fatal  issue  of  this  an- 
nual event  of  Buckingham  Palace,  would  have  rived  the  hearts 
of  a  large  number  of  relatives,  enshrouded  in  mournful  gloom  the 
court  circles,  and  touched  to  weeping  the  hearts  of  loyal  and  lov- 
ing subjects.  It  would  have  severed  a  chord  in  the  national  pride, 
lessened  the  sentiment  of  public  admiration,  and  withdrawn  a  liv- 
ing beau-ideal  of  the  national  glory.  So  appalling  an  event 
would,  too,  have  involved  a  change  in  the  course  of  government, 
and  increased  the  apprehension  of  a  civil  war.  But  these  were 
only  circumstantial  causes  in  swelling  the  national  heart  of  sym- 
pathetic admiration  and  interest.  The  exercise  of  a  natural  sen- 
timent had  begotten  in  the  bosom  of  the  Englishman  a  profound 
esteem  for  his  queen.  Invested  in  public  estimation  with  the  at- 
tributes that  command  the  homage  of  the  heart,  she  had  become 
the  enthroned  idol  of  the  national  aiFection.  Now,  the  human 
soul  is  fashioned  to  admii-e,  to  love,  to  worship.  It  will  have  some 
object  even  beyond  the  family  cii'cle  upon  which  to  employ  its 
panting  energies.  It  craves  a  living  ideal  of  power  and  beauty 
to  elevate  and  refine  its  aspirations.  This  denied  it,  the  soul  wiU 
often  chase  the  phantom  of  its  imagination,  or  settle  upon  grovel- 
ling objects  of  thought  and  action.  Thus  yielding  homage  to  su- 
perior characters  does  not  degrade  the  nature,  but  elevates  it,  as 
the  contemplation  of  the  beautiful  beautifies  the  mind.  I  will  not 
complain  of  the  Englishman,  then,  for  loving  and  reverencing  his 
queen.  Would  there  were  no  more  degrading  objects  of  worship 
than  renderiag  grateful  homage  to  a  noble  and  beautiful  woman. 

Becoming  a  little  tired  of  my  quarters,  I  removed  to  rooms  with 
Mrs. ,  in  Tower  Hill  street.     I  say  IMi-s.,  because,  although 


POPULARITY  OF  VICTORIA.  $87 


the  lady  was  living  in  marriage  with  her  husband,  he  seemed  so 
imbecile  as  hardly  to  merit  being  mentioned  in  the  partnership.  In- 
deed, I  afterwards  learned,  that  through  his  incapacity  for  business, 
their  joint  patrimony  had  become  entirely  sunk  in  trade,  and  they 
were  living  in  the  narrowest  manner  possible  upon  a  very  small 
income  still  belonging  to  the  wife.  This  hardly  suificing,  they 
were  obliged  to  let  the  rooms  of  their  house  to  travellers.  The 
lady  w'as  naturally  a  noble,  spirited,  and  energetic  woman,  and 
managed  things  at  home  to  perfection.  Her  example,  in  the  edu- 
cation of  her  family,  may  be  mentioned  as  worthy  the  emulation 
of  every  mother.  Though  living  with  the  utmost  frugality  her- 
self, their  children  were  at  the  best  schools  in  the  realm,  and  on 
the  Continent.  Their  oldest  son  had  already  just  received  a  lu- 
crative appointment,  and  one  of  the  daughters  was  spoken  for  to 
fill  the  place  of  governess  in  one  of  the  best  families  in  England. 
Doubtless,  under  the  spirit  of  honorable  ambition,  inhei'ited  from 
the  mother,  they  would  soon  rise  to  stations  of  profit  and  honor, 
and  before  long  have  wherewith  not  only  to  support  in  comfortable 
circumstances  their  parents,  but  likewise  to  gladden  the  hearts  of 
the  latter  by  their  superiority  in  life.  Mrs. was  a  warm  ad- 
mirer of  queen  Victoria,  whom  she  invested  with  the  beautiful 
hues  of  her  own  mind.  According  to  her.  Her  Majesty  was  very 
popular  throughout  the  entire  realm,  and  had  always  been  so. 
When  only  the  young  daughter  of  the  Duchess  of  Kent,  she  was 
a  public  idol,  and  could  not  move  out  from  her  home  without  receiv- 
ing in  showers  the  fragrant  incense  of  popular  homage.  Her  Maj- 
esty's choice  of  a  husband  f.-ll  upon  an  English  gentleman,  an  early 
rosebud  of  her  heart's  aflection  ;  but  the  Duke  of  Wellington  and 
the  cabinet  ministers,  for  reasons  of  state,  would  have  her  select 
from  the  princes  of  the  blood.  Indeed,  another  course  would  have 
been  undignified,  and  contrary  to  the  laws  of  the  realm.     Her 


388  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


Majesty,  according  to  my  excellent  landlady,  is  a  sensible  and 
amiable  woman;  she  is,  moreover,  highly  educated  and  accom- 
plished, able  to  speak  at  least  three  of  the  modern  languages  of 
Europe,  to  execute  finely  upon  the  piano-forte,  and  to  design  with 
exquisite  art.  Indeed,  a  circumstance  occurx'ed  while  I  was  in 
London,  which  goes  fully  to  substantiate  the  fact  in  regard  to  the 
latter  accomplishment.  It  seems,  the  queen  had  loaned  some  of 
her  drawings  to  a  female  friend,  who  allowed  an  artist  professing 
great  admiration  for  them,  to  take  the  drawings  home  for  inspec- 
tion. The  latter  had  them  engraved,  —  and  soon  the  shop-win- 
dows of  the  capital  were  embellished  with  the  beautiful  designs  of 
Her  Majesty.  An  action  was  immediately  entered  against  the  un- 
lucky artist,  and  the  circulation  of  the  drawings  stopped,  but  not 
until  the  good  citizens  of  London  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  pic- 
tures actually  executed  by  the  delicate  hand  of  their  sovereign. 
The  queen  is  also  very  polite  to  all,  even  to  her  servants,  and  in- 
culcates the  same  principle  in  the  manners  of  her  children,  with 
whom  she  is  so  particular  in  their  education,  as  not  to  permit  their 
reading  a  book  without  first  having  perused  it  herself.  Then  she 
is  benevolent,  sympathizing,  and  humane,  giving  freely  to  good 
enterprises,  commiserating  with  the  afflicted,  and  performing  deeds 
of  charity.  With  such  a  character,  it  is  not  surprising  that  she  is 
esteemed  and  beloved  by  the  entire  nation. 

I  observed  by  the  papers,  that  a  meeting  of  the  Revolutionists 
of  the  capital  was  to  be  held  in  the  evening,  to  devise  measures 
for  a  revolution  somewhat  after  the  style  of  the  grand  movement 
in  Paris  ;  but  this  did  not  seem  to  disturb  in  the  least  the  public 
mind.  An  unsuccessful  effort  had  been  made  a  week  or  two  be- 
fore ;  but  it  resulted  in  little  more  than  demonstrating  the  power 
of  the  government,  and  the  loyalty  of  the  citizens  in  general. 
Indeed,  only  a  glance  at  the  character  of  the  English,  and  the 


STRENGTH  OF  THE  ENGLISH  GOVERNMENT.  389 


condition  of  the  nation,  will  show  the  high  improbability  of  any- 
thing like  an  effective  revolution  in  England.  In  the  first  place, 
the  government  and  institutions  of  the  country  stand  upon  a  more 
liberal  basis  than  those  of  any  country  in  Europe,  and  ai-e  little 
less  popular  in  character  than  those  of  our  own  country.  Then, 
the  government  is  conducted  with  acute  and  far-seeing  sagacity, 
by  sage  politicians,  chosen  by  the  queen  in  a  liberal  spirit,  as  hold- 
ing a  nice  equipoise  between  popular  will  and  patrician  conserva- 
tism. 

The  queen,  cabinet,  and  nobility  in  general,  would  never,  of 
course,  favor  a  revolution.  The  respectable,  middling  classes, 
largely  engaged  in  manufactures  and  commerce,  Avhose  interests 
suffer  disastrously  in  a  civil  disturbance,  would  not  forsake  their 
golden  god.  Mammon,  to  chase  the  unsubstantial  form  of  Liber- 
ty. Then,  the  vast  army,  and  mighty  navy,  the  two  huge  ele- 
ments of  power  for  carrying  on  war,  or  maintaining  peace,  are 
disposed  with  great  skill  to  identify  their  rank  and  file  with  the 
disposition  of  the  government,  and  place  them  in  willing  obedience 
to  the  cabinet  wires.  Besides,  there  is  a  large,  thoroughly  organ- 
ized, and  powerfully  efficient  police  extending  with  a  net-work 
ramifiaition  throughout  the  realm,  slumbering  indeed,  yet  with 
eagle-eyed  vigilance,  and  a  lion  force,  and  ever  as  true  to  their 
queen  as  the  magnet  is  to  the  polar  star.  All  these  powers  are 
immensely  increased  by  the  large,  genuine,  ever-beating,  loyal 
heart  in  the  Englishman,  which  oxidizes  his  national  blood,  and 
makes  him  feel  the  fratricidal  poignancy  of  civil  strife.  Against 
such  mighty  forces,  what  can  the  toiling,  ijanting,  heel-trodden 
million  do  ?  They  may,  as  they  have,  and  will  probably,  again, 
when  some  liberty -shriek  fans  anew  in  their  breasts  the  flame  of 
mortal  indignation,  throw  up  their  arms  and  voices  in  pleading, 
avenging  clamor,  —  but  it  is  but  the  pattering  rain  amid  the  tem- 

33* 


390  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


pest's  roar,  or  the  writhings  and  cries  of  the  puny  quadruped  in 
the  giant  paws  of  the  king  of  beasts. 

Looked  into  St.  Paul's  school,  situated  near  St.  Paul's  cliurch. 
It  was  established  in  1518  by  Dean  Colet,  and  provides  a  free 
education  for  one  hundred  and  fifty-three  boys,  the  most  advanced 
of  whom  are  sent  to  Oxford  and  Cambridge.  The  present  build- 
ing was  erected  in  1824,  and  the  income  of  the  school  is  about 
thirty  thousand  dollars  per  annum.  I  found  it  extremely  difficult 
to  gain  admission  to  this  school. 

Guild  Hall,  which  I  strolled  through,  stands  at  the  north  end  of 
King  street.  The  front,  added  in  1789,  is  in  a  heterogeneous 
style.  The  great  hall,  one  hundred  and  fifty-three  feet  in  length, 
by  forty-eight  in  breadth,  and  fifly-three  in  height,  built  and  paved 
in  stone,  is  capable  of  accommodating  six  thousand  persons ;  at 
least  that  number  was  present  at  the  grand  entertainment  given 
by  the  corporation  to  the  allied  sovereigns  in  1814.  At  each  end 
of  the  hall  is  a  magnificent  painted  glass  window,  in  the  pointed 
style.  In  the  hall  are  statues  of  Pitt,  Chatham,  and  others ;  and 
in  the  west  end  are  the  two  wooden  giants,  called  Gog  and  Magog, 
the  subject  of  so  many  popular  tales. 

There  are  several  other  rooms  possessing  considerable  interest. 
The  walls  of  the  Council  Chamber  are  hung  with  paintings. 
Among  them  was  a  full-sized  portrait  of  her  Majesty  as  she  ap- 
peared at  the  Coronation.  The  figure  was  graceful,  and  the 
countenance  bore  a  sensible  and  amiable  expression.  A  country 
gentleman  present  informed  me  that  the  porti-ait  was  a  good  repre- 
sentation of  the  queen,  except  that  now  she  was  grown  stouter  and 
more  matronly,  as  he  expressed  it.  There  were  also  portraits  of 
queen  Caroline,  the  princess  Charlotte,  and  of  David  Rienzi,  the 
favorite  of  the  unfortunate  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots.  Before  fin- 
ishing a  survey  of  the  several  apartments  of  the  quaint  and  in- 


EOYAL  EXCHANGE. -BANK  OF  ENGLAIs'D.  391 


teresting  edifice,  a  portly  person,  neatly  dressed,  accosted  me  in 
officious  style,  and  begged  in  the  blandest  tones  to  point  out  to  me 
something  more  than  I  had  seen.  After  a  turn  or  two,  he  left  me ; 
but,  as  I  was  going,  he  suddenly  made  his  appearance,  and  be- 
gan a  series  of  complaisant  looks  and  subdued  gestures.  Finding 
me  slow  to  apprehend  his  meaning,  he  finally  "  popped  the  ques- 
tion "  by  asking  that  I  would  be  good  enough  to  hand  him  some- 
thing. 

"  But,"  said  I,  "  the  building  is  free  to  strangers." 

"  Ah,  yes,  but  then  gentlemen  commonly  pay." 

"How  much  will  you  have?" 

"  "What  you  choose." 

I  bestowed  my  best  bow.  He  turned  on  his  heel,  as  if  he  was 
not  unused  to  such  partings.  It  is  a  lesson  the  traveller  latest 
learns,  to  know  how  to  treat  properly  such  gentry. 

I  also  looked  around  upon  the  Royal  Exchange,  of  recent  con- 
struction. It  is  a  splendid  building,  and  is  one  of  the  chief  orna- 
ments of  the  city.  It  encloses  an  open  square,  in  the  centre  of 
which  stands  upon  an  elevated  pedestal,  a  full-sized  statue  of 
queen  Victoria,  erected  in  1844.  The  artist  has  managed  to  im- 
part to  the  statue  a  full,  luxurious,  womanly  deportment,  which 
rivets  the  gaze  of  the  beholder.  At  a  rough  estimate,  two  thou- 
sand merchants  and  brokers  have  their  places  of  business  within 
a  half  mile  of  the  exchange,  and  meet  there  to  carry  on  opera- 
tions by  which  tlie  commercial  affairs  of  the  world  are  powerfully 
influenced. 

Near,  is  the  Bank  of  England,  a  monied  monster  indeed.  The 
building  covers  eight  acres,  and  is  irregular  and  incongruous 
enough.  The  affairs  of  the  bank  are  managed  by  a  governor, 
deputy-governor,  and  twenty -four  directors,  elected  annually.  The 
business  is  conducted  by  about  nine  hundred  clerks,  whose  salaries 


392  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


amount  to  about  a  million.  The  capital  of  the  bank  has  been  as 
large  as  £50,000,000,  lent  to  the  government  at  three  per  cent. 

March  22d.  Took  an  early  stroll  through  Cheapside  and  the 
Strand,  the  great  thoroughfare  of  fashionable  retail  stores.  It 
could  bear  no  comparison  with  similar  streets  in  Paris,  and  not 
surpassing,  I  thought,  Broadway  in  New  York,  or  Washmgton 
street  in  Boston. 

Made  several  agreeable  calls  on  American  gentlemen.  Amer- 
icans in  Europe  are  eminently  fraternal.  Distance,  which  lends 
enchantment  to  home,  invests  with  a  lively  charm  the  living  object 
which  recalls  to  the  tenderly  yearning  soul,  the  glowing  associa- 
tions of  country  and  friends.  The  Somerset  House  was  pointed 
out  to  me  as  interesting  from  its  historical  associations.  It  is 
somewhat  after  the  plan  of  the  Louvre  in  Paris.  Elizabeth  and 
some  of  the  other  queens  held  levees  here.  Crossed  the  Thames 
by  the  "  suspension  bridge."  This  is  certainly  a  great  triumph  of 
art.  The  Thames,  averaging  one  thousand  feet  in  width,  is  crossed 
by  six  bridges.  These  gigantic  structures  cost  an  aggregate  of 
more  than  twenty  five  millions  of  dollars.  Two  of  these,  Vaux- 
hall  and  Southwark  bridges,  have  iron  arches,  the  centre  arch  of 
the  latter  being  two  hundred  and  forty  feet  in  width.  Waterloo 
bridge  is  really  a  fine  structure.  Canova  said  that  it  was  itself 
worth  a  visit  from  the  remotest  coi-ner  of  the  world.  It  is  of  gran- 
ite, and  has  nine  eUiptical  arches,  each  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
seven  feet  wide.  The  new  London  bridge,  whether  regarded  in 
reference  to  magnitude  or  the  beauty  and  simplicity  of  its  struc- 
ture, is  one  of  the  finest  specimens  of  bridge-architecture  in  the 
world.  It  is  built  of  granite,  and  the  span  of  the  centre  arch  is 
one  hundred  and  thirty-two  feet. 

From  Westminster  bridge,  I  had  a  fine  view  of  the  new  houses 
of  Parliament.     They  have  a  splendid  river-front,  nearly  seven 


PEINCE  ALBERT'S  LE\T;E.  393 


hundred  feet  in  length,  with  a  terrace  and  stairs  leading  down  to 
the  water.  The  style  of  architecture  is  gothic,  and  beautiful.  The 
edifice  forms  a  striking  feature  in  tlie  metropolis,  and  is  an  orna- 
ment to  the  city.  It  is  very  elaborate  in  finish  and  pi-ofuse  in  or- 
nament, but  lacks  grandeur.  It  stands  on  a  low  site,  and  the  edi- 
fice itself  seems  to  want  due  proportionate  height. 

I  was  delighted  with  the  scene  on  passing  into  St.  James's  Park. 
The  sky  was  open,  and  the  air  soft  and  balmy.  Numbers  of  peo- 
ple, young  and  old,  sedate  and  gay,  variously  costumed,  were  saun- 
tering in  the  serpentine  walks.  Children  accompanied  with  their 
governesses  were  gamboling  in  happy  merriment  upon  the  ver- 
dant lawns.  Birds  of  varied  plumage  from  amidst  the  shrubbery, 
were  enlivening  the  scene  with  their  rich  notes,  while  aquatic  fowls 
were  sailing  gracefully  over  the  mirrored  surface  of  the  impearl- 
ed  lake,  conscious  of  the  beauty  of  the  scene  around.  Thus  issu- 
ing suddenly  from  the  dense  city  to  the  gladsome  country,  is  like 
entering  a  new  world. 

At  the  corner  of  Hyde  Park,  I  learned  of  Prince  Albert's  levee 
at  St.  James's  Palace  at  two  o'  clock,  r.  m.  I  was  there,  of  course 
in  time  to  witness  the  cortege.  The  crowd  of  spectators  was  not 
so  great  as  I  had  expected. 

The  carriages  entered  by  three  different  ways.  Those  of  the 
foreign  ambassadors  by  one,  the  officers  of  State  by  another,  and 
the  Koyal,  still  by  another.  Some  of  the  carriages  wore  splendid, 
but  otliers  not  finer  than  what  may  be  seen  every  day  in  Boston 
and  New  York.  All  the  carriages  had  footmen,  who  were  gener- 
ally in  livery.  As  tlie  centre  sfjuares  of  the  carriages  were  down, 
and  the  inmates  uncovered,  a  fine  opportunity  was  presented  to  scan 
the  features  and  costume  of  this  imposing  array  of  the  elite  of  the 
Avorld.  Some  were  accoutred  in  uniform,  some  garljed  in  gown  and 
wig,  and  others  in  simple  citizens'  dress.    They  were,  on  the  whole, 


394  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


very  sensible  and  intelligent  looking.  They  continued  rolling 
past,  till  a  late  hour,  and  the  first  arrivals  were  departing  long  be- 
fore the  last  had  come.  The  cortege  of  the  Prince  consisted  of 
three  carriages,  escorted  by  the  "horse  guards,"  beautifully  moun- 
ted on  black  steeds,  preceded  by  a  spirited  brass  band.  The 
prince's  was  the  middle  carriage,  a  heavy,  but  splendid  affair, 
rich  with  gilding,  and  drawn  by  eight  cream  colored  horses,  with 
coachman,  postilion,  and  four  richly  liveried  footmen,  behind.  The 
centre  piece  was  down,  and  from  the  top  of  the  post,  where  I  had 
been  standing  for  some  time,  in  impatient  expectancy,  I  had  a  fair 
opportunity  to  look  directly  in  upon  the  Prince.  He  was  in  uni- 
form, uncovered,  and  accompanied  by  two  gentlemen,  one  seated 
by  his  side,  and  the  other  opposite.  He  was  of  medium  stature  and 
size,  something  less  than  the  average  of  English  bulk.  He  ap- 
peared good  looking,  but  not  handsome ;  a  mild,  sensible,  German 
face.  He  wore  a  neat  moustache  of  sandy  hue,  but  no  whiskers. 
Not  quite  satisfied  with  this  glance,  I  waited  till  his  return,  when 
I  walked  briskly  by  the  side  of  the  carriage,  till  it  turned  into  the 
Palace  Court,  when  I  apologized  for  my  boldness,  by  uncovering 
and  saluting  the  royal  personage,  in  form.  It  was  acknowledged 
by  the  Prince,  by  a  slight  inclination.  The  next  day,  being  in 
Hyde  Park,  three  horsemen,  in  plain  citizens'  dress,  at  short  dis- 
tances from  each  other,  rode  past  at  a  round  trot.  The  foremost 
one,  when  opposite  me  reigned  up,  and  lifting  his  hat  made  a  grace- 
ful inclination  of  the  head.  Turning  to  a  workman  near,  I  was 
told  it  was  the  Prince.  His  change  of  dress  had  rendered  him 
not  recognizable  by  me.  His  royal  highness  is  said  to  be  very 
courteous  and  polite  to  everybody,  and  especially  to  strangers. 
Indeed,  lie  has  little  else  to  do,  but  to  win  popularity.  He  may 
truly  be  considered  a  lucky  mortal,  and  his  lot  a  happy  one,  so  far 
as  happiness  depends  on  fortunate  condition ;  for  he  enjoys  the 


NORMAL  AND  MODEL  SCHOOL.  |^ 

honors,  and  pleasures  of  royalty,  without  its  burthens  and  dan- 
gers. 

An  incident  took  place  near  me,  while  awaiting  the  cortege  at 

the  Prince's  levee,  which  shows  the  eagle-eyed  efficiency  of  the 
London  police.  Near  me  I  saw  a  man  suddenly  seize  another  by 
the  throat,  and  press  him  to  the  earth.  A  fierce  struggle  ensued. 
A  crowd  gathered,  but  there  was  no  confusion.  It  seemed  that 
information  had  been  given  that  a  certain  person  had  passed  coun- 
terfeit money.  Whereupon,  two  of  these  lynx-eyed  oflicei's,  dis- 
guised, with  no  other  guide  than  a  general  description  of  the  per- 
son, tracked  him  out,  and  came  thus  upon  him  unawares.  The 
counterfeiter,  when  seized,  attempted  to  swallow  the  money  upon 
him,  —  but  the  gripe  at  his  throat  made  with  reference  to  that 
contingency,  proved  a  successful  barrier. 

March  23d.  I  visited,  to-day,  the  Normal  and  Model  School  in 
the  Borough  Road.  There  are  upwards  of  three  thousand  pu- 
pils, who  are  taught  by  the  Lancastrian  system.  The  school  is 
under  the  care  of  the  National  Society,  which  has  its  model  school 
in  the  sanctuary  at  Westminster,  and  gives  instruction  to  more 
than  nine  thousand  pupils.  The  young  gentleman  whom  I  ad- 
dressed, with  a  cordial,  enthusiastic  air  bid  me  welcome  to  visit 
them  as  often  as  I  wished,  and  stay  as  long  as  I  pleased.  "  He 
would  be  glad,"  he  said,  "  to  have  the  world  know  of  it,  and  see 
it."  He  regarded  me  with  wonder,  on  learning  that  I  was  a 
school-master  from  the  U.  vStates,  and  had  actually  visited  the 
schools  on  the  continent.  He  remarked,  that  he  was  then  deeply 
interested  in  reading  a  work  on  Popular  Education,  written  in  the 
U.  States.  I  first  wont  into  the  mrxlcl  school,  composed  of  about 
six  hundred  pupils  from  the  poorer  classes,  who  pay  two  pence,  or 
about  four  cents  per  week,  as  tuition.  Tl^^y  are  instructed  by 
members  of  the  superior  department,  styled  normal  pupils.     The 


596  CRESTS  FEOM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


session  was  principally  in  a  large  ball,  or  school-room,  with  long 
seats  running  quite  across  the  room,  except  leaving  a  wide  aisle 
entirely  around  the  apartment.  At  recitation,  all  the  pupils  were 
grouped  in  circles  of  from  ten  to  fifteen  in  number,  with  the 
teacher  in  the  centre. 

As  they  recited  simultaneously,  some  unusual  noise  prevailed. 
The  exercise  was  arithmetic.  The  master  gave  out  the  problem, 
and  all  the  pupils  performed  the  same.  When  completed,  the 
master  questioned  critically,  in  a  cursory  manner ;  but  there  was 
little  that  could  be  called  philosophy  in  the  manner  of  teaching. 
But  there  was  a  promptness  and  vigor  on  the  part  of  the  teacher, 
and  an  earnestness  and  attention  in  the  pupil,  which  indicated  ef- 
ficiency and  progress ;  hence  many  of  the  pupils  were  advanced 
for  their  age.     Corporal  punishment  is  held  here  as  a  last  resort. 

I  visited  several  other  rooms.  In  one,  there  was  an  exercise 
in  natural  history.  The  master,  a  very  young  man,  appeared  fa- 
miliar with  his  subject,  and  deeply  interested  in  the  exercise. 
But  he  was  most  unpardonably  impatient,  hurried,  and  morose, 
and  tumbled  his  little  pupils  around  as  if  they  had  no  sense  of 
kindness,  or  delicacy  of  feeling.  They  gave  good  attention,  how- 
ever, and  appeared  progressing  in  the  intei*esting  science. 

At  half-past  three,  p.  m.,  I  was  present  to  attend  a  critical  lec- 
ture by  one  of  the  normal  pupils,  before  a  class  of  the  "  model 
school."  Other  members  of  the  normal  department  were  present, 
as  well  as  Dr.  Cornwall,  taking  notes.  The  lecturer  was  some 
time  getting  his  class  to  order,  to  listen  to  his  address,  —  scolding, 
pinching,  cuffing  them  by  turns,  while  the  other  normalites  would 
frequently  come  to  the  rescue,  volunteering  a  little  authority  of 
their  own.  The  scene  in  this  respect  was  painfully  ludicrous,  and 
reminded  me  of  the^  confusion  produced  by  a  ship  coming  into 
dock  under  a  press  of  canvas,  to  be   taken  in  on  the  spur  of  the 


DOCKS  OF  LONDON.  397 


moment.  After  the  lecture,  Dr.  Cornwall  informed  me  that  his 
lecture,  which  was  to  come  off  at  four,  p.  m.,  would  be  suspended, 
to  give  the  scholars  opportunity  to  visit  the  Museum,  according  to 
their  practice  once  a  quarter ;  but  if  I  would  be  pleased  to  call  at 
any  other  time,  I  should  be  shown  and  told  everything  relating  to 
the  school,  with  great  pleasure.  I  left  with  a  lively  feeling  of  the 
usefulness  of  the  institution.  I  visited  several  other  schools  for 
the  poorer  classes,  but  I  have  no  space  here  to  record  my  impres- 
sions in  detail. 

March  25(h.  After  breakfast,  took  a  ride  over  the  Blackwall 
Kailway  to  the  East  India  Docks,  some  three  miles  down  the 
river,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Thames.  They  were  commenced 
in  1803,  and  opened  in  1806.  As  their  name  implies,  they  belong 
to  the  East  India  Company.  There  are  two  docks,  covering 
eighteen  acres  of  ground.  INIy  object  in  visiting  these  was,  to  see 
some  of  the  East  India  ships,  of  which  I  had  heard  so  much  ; 
but  I  must  say  I  was  disappointed.  In  size,  model,  and  style,  they 
bore  no  comparison  to  the  idea  I  had  formed  of  them,  by  the  re- 
presentations of  my  English  friends.  I  must  say  that  little  risk 
is  run  in  stating  that  we  are  in  advance  of  the  English  in  ship 
building.  A  little  further  up  the  river  you  come  to  the  West 
India  Docks.  In  one  of  these,  six  hundred  vessels  may  be  ac- 
commodated ;  and  the  whole  area  covered  by  them  and  their 
warehouses,  is  about  three  hundred  acres.  The  extent  of  the 
Commercial  Docivs,  further  along,  is  even  greater  than  those  last 
described.  Then  come  the  London  Docks  ;  and  last  the  St.  Cath- 
arine Docks,  situated  just  below  the  Tower.  These  are  all  vast 
receptacles,  solidly  and  even  beautifully  constructed,  and  arc  one 
of  the  greatest  wonders  of  London. 

In  the  East  India  House  I  saw  a  huge  meteoric  stone,  Aveighing 
twenty-five  pounds,  which  was  observed  to  fall,  accompanied  by  a 

34 


398  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


report  as  loud  as  that  of  a  gun,  and  to  bury  itself  several  feet  in 
the  earth. 

Elihu  Burritt,  the  "learned  blacksmith,"  delivered  a  lecture  last 
evening  before  some  one  of  the  many  literary  societies  of  the  capi- 
tal, upon  the  "  dignity  of  human  labor."  He  was  warmly  greeted 
on  commencing,  and  his  address  was  reported  to  have  been  re- 
ceived with  enthusiastic  applause.  The  laborious  student  was 
under,  it  was  said,  the  patronage  of  a  wealthy  and  benevolent 
quaker,  and  was  being  worshipped  as  a  prodigious  literary  lion  by 
the  elevated  and  philanthropic  portion  of  the  capital. 

Sunday,  l^th.  Set  off  in  order  to  attend  a  Sabbath-meeting  of 
the  Society  of  Friends.  A  four-years'  residence,  nearly,  among 
these  excellent  people,  in  the  United  States,  had  so  endeared  to 
me  their  latent  but  manifold  virtues  of  character,  that  I  felt  a 
strong  inward  delight  at  the  prospect  of  again  sitting  with  them 
in  their  humble  and  quiet  waiting  upon  the  breathing  inspiration 
of  the  Divine  Spirit.  A  traveller's  curiosity,  doubtless,  mingled 
with  the  feeling  I  possessed.  It  will  be  recollected,  that  it  was  in 
England  this  sect  had  its  origin  about  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  under  the  guidance  of  George  Fox,  that  fearless  apostle 
of  a  purer  and  more  spiritual  worship;  and  I  esteemed  it  a  gratify- 
ing inquiry  to  observe,  as  I  might,  how  far  the  distant  branches  of 
the  society,  thrown  oiF  by  a  relentless  persecution,  still  preserved 
the  lineaments  of  the  parent-trunk.  Before  proceeding  far,  I  had 
the  good  fortune  to  overtake  a  man  whom,  at  a  glance,  I  should 
have  recognized,  the  world  over,  as  a  veritable  Quaker.  Availing 
myself  of  a  traveller's  privilege,  I  at  once  accosted  him  with  the 
request  that  he  would  set  me  on  the  way  to  a  Friends'  meeting. 
AVithout  slackening  his  measured  pace,  and  scarcely  turning  a  look 
upon  me,  he  sedately  replied,  "  I  am  just  going  there  myself,  and 
thou  can  come  along  with  me."     He  entered  readily,  but  cau- 


QUAKER  TRUTHFULNESS,  399 


tiously,  into  conversation  with  me,  on  matters  touching  his  society; 
but  when  he  discovered  that  I  had  myself  lived  with  the  Friends, 
had  heard  a  number  of  their  eminent  preachers,  and  was  famihar 
with  the  controversy  then  going  on  between  the  Hicksites  and 
Gurneyites,  his  face  gradually  brightened  up,  his  step  became 
quicker,  and  his  tongue  more  free,  showing  that  the  force  of  moral 
ideas  cannot  always  fully  subdue  the  impulses  of  nature.  I  was 
advised  of  our  approach  to  the  meeting  rather  by  my  friend's  re- 
lapsing into  his  former  calmness  of  manner,  than  from  any  visible 
indications  around.  We  soon,  however,  entered  a  narrow  arch- 
way, leading  into  a  court,  where,  in  front  of  a  partially  concealed 
edifice  of  humble  proportions,  stood  some  half-dozen  men  of  dif- 
ferent ages,  awaiting  the  hour  of  meeting.  Here,  after  a  moment's 
taiTy,  the  Friend  approached,  and  in  a  low  tone  observed :  "  Some 
little  affairs  to  be  attended  to  in  the  room  call  me  in.  When  it 
pleases  thee  to  do  so,  thou  can  follow  after."  The  company  now 
began  to  gather,  passing  along  by  me  into  the  room,  —  the  men 
with  a  sei'ious  deportment,  and  the  women,  both  young  and  old, 
with  a  steadfast,  downward  look,  and  with  faces  as  destitute  of  the 
play  of  emotion  as  polished  marble.  Presently,  the  people  hav- 
ing gone  in,  without  receiving  further  invitation,  I  was  led  to 
adopt  the  suggestion  of  the  Friend,  to  pass  in  unaccompanied ; 
but  I  must  confess  to  a  slight  trepidation,  as,  on  issuing  into  the 
room,  the  extended  methodical  array  of  black  bonnets  and  broad- 
brimmed  hats  struck  my  view.  A  seat  was  immediately  assigned 
me,  combining  in  its  selection  respect  for  a  stranger,  and  dignity  to 
their  order.  The  room,  capacious  enough  for  five  hundred  per- 
sons, was  of  the  style  of  a  fashionable  lecture-room,  possessing  not 
a  vestige  of  that  homely  finish,  and  those  quaint  internal  arrange- 
ments which  characterize  so  peculiarly  the  quaker  meeting-houses 
I  have  seen  among  us.    The  session  of  deathlike  stillness  and  mo- 


400  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 

tionless  attitude  lasted  about  one  hour  and  a  half,  being  interrupt- 
ed but  once  by  any  exercise  whatever.  Then,  the  deep-measured 
tones  of  the  speaker,  united  with  the  energy  and  pathos  of  lan- 
guage in  which  he  portrayed  his  ideal  of  paradise,  was  greatly 
heightened  by  the  profound  stillness  of  the  room  and  the  spiritual 
sympathy  among  the  company.  The  meeting  was  broken  up,  pre- 
ceded a.s  usual  by  simultaneous  shaking  of  hands  among  the  male 
members.  I  at  first  set  off  on  a  route  away  from  my  hotel, —  but 
after  some  five-minutes'  walk  returned  upon  my  course.  On  ar- 
riving near  the  meeting-house,  who  should  I  meet  at  an  angle  of 
the  street  but  the  same  afore-mentioned  Friend,  wiio  had  all  the 
time  been  awaiting  my  coming,  with  a  martyr's  patience.  He  ac- 
companied me  a  few  streets  down,  when,  after  explaining  to  me 
minutely  the  arrangements  for  their  weekly  meetings,  he  took  a  cor- 
dial leave,  saying  that  he  would  have  invited  me  with  him  to  dinner, 
but  for  the  illness  of  his  wife.  What  a  contrast  does  the  manner  of 
this  man  form,  mused  I,  to  that  of  the  world  in  general !  What 
candor,  what  freedom  from  false-seeming  !  The  current  of  his  so- 
cial nature  has  not  been  choked  up  by  the  shifting  sands  of  a  great 
city.  I  have  often  thought  that  the  Quakers,  despite  their  sedate, 
serious  tone,  their  stiff,  ungraceful  manner,  were  really  the  most 
polite  people  in  the  world.  If  true  politeness  be  kindness  kindly 
expressed,  then  they  most  certainly  possess  largely  of  the  cardinal 
virtue.  At  least,  the  genuine,  substantial  current  of  their  inter- 
course is  delightfully  refreshing  to  such  as  are  favored  with  their 
society. 

In  the  afternoon,  I  made  a  long  and  leisurely  stroll  in  the  en- 
virons of  the  capital.  I  will  not  attempt  here  what  has  baffled 
the  skill  of  more  able  pens,  namely,  to  embody  a  faithful  descrip- 
tion of  English  rural  scenery. 

March  21th.    Spent  the  forenoon  visiting  the  National  Schools, 


LONDON  SHOPKEEPERS,  40I 


at  "West-End.  The  organization  and  mode  of  teaching  were  after 
the  Normal  school,  already  mentioned.  Corporeal  jjunishment 
and  emulation  were  both  employed.  The  teaching  seemed  effi- 
cient, and  the  scholars  advanced,  for  their  age.  Afterwards,  looked 
into  the  New  House  of  Lords.  The  room  is  superbly  rich,  yet 
it  did  not  strike  my  taste  favorably.  It  was  of  rectangular 
form,  instead  of  being  semi-circular,  and  the  seats,  arranged  for 
noble  members  to  face  the  sides  of  the  room,  instead  of  the  speak- 
er's desk.  The  throne  of  the  queen,  situated  over  the  speaker's 
desk,  seemed  too  high  for  appropriateness. 

An  incident  befel  me  on  my  return  homeward,  so  humorous 
that  I  can  hardly  forbear  narrating  it.  While  crossing  a  street,  a 
jolly-faced  mulatto  approached  me,  bearing  in  his  hand  a  finely 
rigged  miniature  vessel,  and  accosted  me  in  French.  By  his 
bland  tone  and  complaisant  manner,  it  was  evident  he  wished  to 
flatter  me  into  a  purchase.  At  last  said  I  to  hira,  How  happened 
it,  my  good  fellow,  that  you  knew  I  was  a  Frenchman  ?  "  Knew 
it,  knew  it,"  he  repeated,  with  imperturbable  sang-froid,  "anybody 
would  know  thai  by  your  figured 

March  2%th.  Spent  the  day  in  making  purchases  previously 
to  my  departure  on  the  morrow.  I  was  highly  pleased  with  the 
dignified  ease,  and  honorable  bearing  of  the  London  shopkeepers. 
I  met  with  no  such  thing  as  bantering  or  falling  upon  prices  ;  and 
I  was  informed  such  a  thing  Avas  unknown,  especially  in  the  more 
respectable  stores.  The  shops  are  kept  by  men,  instead  of  women 
as  in  Paris  ;  but  there  is  a  polished  and  quiet  ease  in  the  tone  of 
the  gentleman  by  whom  you  are  waited  on,  that  puts  you  in  the 
happiest  frame  of  mind.  In  one  of  the  princely  shawl  stores  that  I 
had  entered  for  a  purchase,  the  jjrincipal  shopman,  on  learning  that 
I  was  from  the  United  States,  was  delighted  to  see  me.  It  seemed 
that  he  himself  had  been  a  merchant  in  New  York,  Boston,  and 

34* 


402  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


Albany,  and  bad  travelled  extensively  in  the  United  States. 
He  appreciated  deeply  the  strong  features  in  the  character  of 
the  New  World;  and  we  were  soon  in  the  most  glowing  con- 
verse, expatiating  upon  the  grandeur  of  American  scenery.  Some 
dozen  of  the  clerks  soon  surrounded  us,  hanging  with  fixed 
attention  upon  our  accents,  when  one  of  them  broke  out  in  this 
wise :  "Well,  uncle,  I  hope  Heaven  will  spare  my  life  to  visit  the 
United  States  of  North  America,  for  I  really  believe  the  whole 
world  besides  is  nothing  to  be  compared  to  it." 

March  29tli.  At  six,  in  the  morning,  we  were  gliding  over  the 
unruffled  surface  of  the  Thames,  under  tow  of  a  modest  little 
steamer,  with  the  great  London  world  receding  in  the  distance. 
Homeward  bound !  What  emotions  of  joy  does  not  the  reality 
bring  to  the  heart  of  the  traveller ! 

I  would  gladly  extend  this  narrative  to  include  the  more  peculiar 
incidents  of  our  homeward  passage,  but  space  fails;  and  I  do  not 
doubt  the  good-natured  reader  who  has  in  imagination  accompanied 
me  thus  far  upon  our  route,  will  now  be  willing  to  part  my  com- 
pany for  other  society. 

Now,  in  separating,  let  me  affectionately  press  thy  hand,  dear 
reader ;  and  express  the  hope,  that  we  may  never  feel  the  less 
friendly  for  this  journey,  made  together  through  so  interesting  a 
portion  of  this  bright  world  of  ours.  Rather,  may  our  acquaint- 
ance ripen  into  a  friendship,  which  shall  extend  through  the  en- 
tire journey  of  life,  and  be  consummated  in  our  spiritual  exis- 
tence. 


CHAPTER  XXVII, 


EUROPEAN  SCHOOLS. 


Feeling  that  a  portion  of  our  community,  deeply  interested  in 
the  glorious  cause  of  education,  would  naturally  expect  something 
further  said  of  European  systems,  than  may  be  found  in  the  nar- 
rative of  this  work,  I  had  drawn  up,  in  a  chapter  by  itself,  a  few 
such  conclusions  upon  the  subject,  as,  after  mature  deliberation,  I 
have  arrived  at  with  the  clearest  certainty.  The  manuscript  of 
this,  in  being  transmitted  to  the  printer  by  mail,  by  some  means 
miscarried  ;  and  now,  after  having  vainly  waited  for  the  due  arri- 
val of  the  straying  leaves,  and  the  press  being  ready  for  linishing 
the  work,  I  am  constrained  to  supply,  as  well  as  I  may  in  the  very 
brief  time  permitted  me,  the  accidental  omission. 

Let  me  premise,  in  the  outset,  that  so  diiferent  are  the  social 
and  political  institutions  of  European  countries  and  our  own,  that 
an  intelligent  development  of  their  scliool-systems,  and  a  just 
comparison  of  them  with  ours,  would  require  the  space  of  a  vol- 
ume, instead  of  that  of  the  few  pages  hero  allotted.  Little  more 
■will  therefore  be  now  expected  than  the  mere  statement  of  my 
views ;  and  it  should  be  remembered  further,  that  I  refer,  in  my 
observations,  particularly  to  France  and  Belgium. 

SCHOOL-HOUSES. 

I  am  free  to  state  that  I  saw  no  public-school  edifices  superior, 
on  the  whole,  to  the  best  of  the  same  class  found  in  Boston,  and 
some  of  her  sister  cities  of  New  England.  The  school-rooms 
were,  however,  generally  better  and  more  fully  supplied  with 
aj){)aratus  and  various  ingenious  contrivances  for  aiding  teacher 
and  i)upil. 


404  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


PUBLIC   SCUOOL-SYSTEM. 


In  comprehensiveness  of  plan,  in  thorough  organization,  and  in 
efficiency  in  execution,  the  European  systems  of  public  education 
must  continue  to  remain,  for  some  time  at  least,  vastly  superior  to 
our  own.  The  reason  for  this  is  obvious.  The  entire  subject  of 
public  instruction  is  there  in  the  hands  of  the  government.  This 
central  power  selects  its  agents  from  the  most  highly  educated  and 
philanthropic  citizens  of  the  state,  w^ho  can  be  governed  by  no 
other  motive,  than  to  devise  and  carry  out,  in  full  consummation, 
the  most  complete  system  of  instruction  of  which  the  human  mind 
can  conceive.  And  it  is  needless  to  say  that  this  is  faithfully  done. 
Quite  different  is  it  with  us.  Here,  the  matter  of  maintaining 
public  schools  is  left  very  much  to  the  people  at  large.  It  is  evi- 
dent that  the  standard  of  instruction  cannot,  from  the  nature  of  the 
case,  rise  much  above  the  common  intelligence.  By  our  system, 
then,  the  genius  of  education  is  constantly  forced  to  appeal,  so  to 
speak,  to  ignorance  for  support.  Now  ignorance  is  incapable  of 
appreciating  the  soul-cravings  of  education.  Hence  our  school- 
system  must  continue  to  drag  its  slow  length  along,  in  snail-like 
imbecility.  Still,  there  are  gratifying  features  in  our  common- 
school  system.  For  instance,  we  may  feel  encouraged  in  knowing 
that  our  public  schools  will  continue  to  improve,  in  proportion 
as  education  is  more  widely  diffused  among  the  masses.  The  spirit 
of  improvement  will  grow  upon  Avhat  it  feeds.  Again,  we  may 
feel  assured  that  our  progress  is  permanent.  There  can  possibly 
be  no  reaction.  In  Europe,  the  system  being  immediately  under 
the  direction  of  the  Government,  may  be  modified  or  even  swept 
away  altogether,  by  a  change  of  Government ;  but  here,  springing 
directly  from  the  bosom  of  the  people,  it  is  as  lasting  as  the  granite 
of  our  everlastino;  hills. 


INTELLECTUAL  PROGRESS   OF  THE  PUPIL.  405 


INTELLECTUAL  PROGRESS   OF  THE   PUPIL. 

Notwithstanding  the  greater  efficiency  of  their  school-system, 
the  pupils  generally,  in  such  of  the  common  branches  as  are  duly 
taught  in  our  schools,  did  not  appear  more  advanced,  for  their  age, 
nor  to  have  been  better  instructed,  than  scholars  of  a  similar  class 
with  us.  For  this,  there  are  several  reasons  ;  two  of  which  I  can 
hardly  forbear  naming.  One  arises  from  the  fact  that  there,  the 
children  of  the  better  classes  more  generally  attend  the  private 
schools,  than  with  us.  Their  public  schools  are  thus  made  up 
more  fully  of  the  children  of  the  lower  orders,  and  are  conse- 
quently, to  a  greater  extent,  deprived  of  that  efficient  home- 
influence,  for  which  nothing  can  make  amends  in  a  school.  The 
other  reason  arises  from  that  condition  of  European  society  which 
renders  it  next  to  impossible  for  a  per.son  to  rise  to  a  superior 
social  position  from  the  one  in  which  he  happens  to  be  born. 
Thus  tlie  European  pupil  feels  that,  in  a  great  measure,  his  social 
fate  is  sealed  ;  tliat  however  studious  he  may  be,  there  is  but  little 
chance  that  any  ordinary  intellectual  superiority  he  may  acquire, 
will  enable  him  to  advance  from  the  situation  in  which  the  acci- 
dents of  birtli  have  placed  him.  This  conviction  constantly  hanging 
over  him,  like  an  incubus,  freezes  his  mental  ardor,  and  paralyzes 
a  powerful  incentive  to  study.  On  the  contrary,  the  pupil  in  our  re- 
publican school-room,  is,  in  this  respect,  quite  diffiirently  and  more 
ha])pily  situated.  lie  is  constantly  made  aware,  by  tliousands  of 
bright,  living  examples,  that  the  path  of  honor  and  emolument,  in 
his  country,  is  open  to  the  humblest ;  and  that  liowever  obscure 
and  unprofjitious  may  have  been  the  circumstance  of  his  own 
birth,  lie  has  only  to  put  properly  forth  his  inborn  energies,  and 
he  may  reach  the  highest  station  withing  the  gift  of  the  people. 
This  animating  thought  naturally  awakens  the  latent  forces  of  hia 


40G  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


being,  supplying  in  a  great  measure  the  place  of  books  and  teacher. 
Hence,  our  common-school  scholars  will  accomplish  more,  by  less 
means,  than  the  same  class  in  European  schools. 

PRIVATE  SCHOOLS. 

It  cannot  for  a  moment  be  questioned  that  the  private  institu- 
tions of  Europe  afford  by  far  more  ample  means  for  a  full  and 
complete  education,  than  do  the  educational  establishments  of  our 
own  country.  This  naturally  arises  from  the  higher  standard  of 
education  among  the  educated  classes,  the  fostering  care  of  Gov- 
ernment, the  munificence  of  individuals,  and  the  ampler  means  at 
hand  for  illustrating  educational  subjects ;  but  it  is  owing  (more 
than  to  anything  else),  to  the  principle  of  the  extreme  division  of 
labor  which  is  so  fully  carried  out  in  every  department  of  life  in 
Europe.  In  a  private  school  of  any  pretensions  in  Europe,  there 
may  usually  be  found  a  Professor  for  each  branch  or  department 
of  instruction.  It  is  needless  to  say,  that  a  school  thus  circum- 
stanced, affords  advantages  for  careful  instruction  in  the  several 
branches,  which  cannot  exist  where,  —  as  in  many  of  the  acade- 
mies in  our  own  country,  —  the  principal  is  obliged  to  teach  sev- 
eral or  all  of  the  various  branches  of  his  programme.  Still,  even 
here,  we  enjoy  a  compensating  advantage.  For  instance,  the  prin- 
cipal advantage  of  a  school  is  its  moi-al  influence,  —  the  moulding, 
transforming  power  of  the  teacher  over  the  pupil.  The  Euro- 
pean professor,  though  more  learned,  is  but  partially  developed. 
Many  of  his  powers  have  been  neglected  in  order  to  afford  a  fuller 
growth  to  others.  He  is  thus  an  incomplete  man,  and  however 
competent  to  give  instruction  in  his  favorite  branch,  possesses  not 
that  fulness  and  completeness  of  character,  which  constitute  the 
highest  form  of  man,  and  whose  magic  influence  lies  in  his  inde- 
finable manner,  tone  of  voice,  beaming  of  the  eye  and  fervor  of 


ORDER  IN  SCHOOLS.  407 


expression.  Now,  the  American  school-master,  from  the  neces- 
sity of  being  obliged  to  attend  to  many  branches  of  learning, 
thereby  gets  a  more  general  intellectual  development,  and  from 
being  forced  into  the  practical  relations  of  life,  obtains  a  more 
efficient  bearing  of  manner ;  and  this  advantage  may  compensate 
for  his  inferiority  in  some  one  chosen  department  of  learning. 

ORDER. 

As  I  have  elsewhere  said,  corporal  punishment  in  the  public 
schools  is  prohibited  by  law.  In  the  private  establishments  it  is 
treated  as  an  obsolete  idea.  In  our  own  countr}^,  the  majority  of 
intelligent  educators  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  should  be 
used  only  as  a  last  resort.  But  the  French  and  Belgian  authori- 
ties seem  to  have  imbibed  the  idea,  that  if  allowed  at  all,  the 
trouble  is,  that  this  last  resort  will  come  too  soon  ;  and  instead  of 
being  made  the  exception,  it  will  gradually  become  a  principal 
means  of  government.  Hence,  they  liave  banished  it  entirely. 
Whether  their  school-masters  would  succeed  equally  well  with  our 
scholars,  who  are  under  less  parental  restraint,  and  so  early  be- 
come imbued  with  ideas  of  independence,  I  will  not  undertake  to 
predict. 

DRAWIXa. 

Drawing  is  made  an  indispensable  branch  in  all  schools,  public 
and  private.  It  is  pursued  not  only  as  a  means  of  improving  the 
taste,  and  cultivating  a  love  for  the  beautiful,  but  as  having  an 
important  relation  to  the  practical  business  of  life.  An  artizan 
would  hardly  expect  to  attain  to  superiority  in  his  calling  without 
a  good  knowledge  of  drawing.  Undoubtedly,  the  superiority  of 
the  French,  in  the  grace  and  beauty  of  their  fiibrications,  may  be 
attributed  in  a  good  degree  to  their  thorough  knowledge  of  thia 
branch. 


408  CRESTS  FROM  THE  OCEAN-WORLD. 


SINGING. 

Singing  is  taught  in  all  the  schools.  It  is  made  essential,  and 
is  as  common  as  reading.  Children,  from  an  earlj  age,  are 
thoroughly  drilled  in  the  elements,  and  the  practice  is  made  a 
concert  exercise  to  enliven  and  gladden  the  air  of  the  school- 
room. And  further,  it  is  deemed  of  vital  importance  in  softening 
the  manners,  refining  the  feelings,  and  preparing  the  soul  for  the 
impression  of  nohle  and  elevating  sentiments.  No  singing  exer- 
cises to  which  I  have  listened  in  the  schools  of  this  country,  will 
favorably  compare  with  such  as  I  heard  in  European  schools. 

SEPARATION  OF  THE   SEXES. 

It  is  a  marked  feature  in  the  European  schools,  that  the  sexes 
are  not  taught  in  the  same  school,  as  is  often  done  with  us.  At 
least,  no  such  schools  came  under  my  observation.  Nor  could  I 
learn  of  any  arrangement  of  the  kind.  Females  are  generally 
employed  for  teaching  girls,  and  gentlemen,  for  boys.  I  believe 
the  opinion  is  gaining  ground  among  the  more  intelligent  educa- 
tors in  this  countrj",  that  a  mixed  school,  of  boys  and  girls,  of 
limited  number,  taught  by  males  and  females,  unites  the  more  fa- 
vorable conditions  for  healthy  progress.  At  least,  it  seems  more 
in  accordance  with  nature ;  and,  if  permitted  to  speak,  I  would 
add  my  own  observation  and  experience  in  its  favor.  Such  a 
school  requires,  it  is  true,  a  firmer  character,  and  more  skill  in  the 
principal. 

MORAL  AND  RELIGIOUS  INSTRUCTION. 

This  is  recognized  in  the  plans  of  instruction,  and  its  importance 
clearly  enforced  upon  the  teachers.  In  most  schools,  the  pupils 
are  weekly,  and  sometimes  oftener,  accompanied  by  their  teachers 
to  the  churches,  where  they  receive  religious  instruction  from  an 
ecclesiastic  appointed  for  the  purpose,  while  exercises  of  a  re- 
ligious character,  in  many  schools,  are  a  daily  exercise. 


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